This food scandal is now in the hands of justice. A preliminary investigation has been opened by the Paris prosecutor’s office to shed light on the salmonellosis found in Ferrero brand products. It follows complaints denouncing contamination after the consumption of Kinder products manufactured by the Ferrero group in a factory in Belgium, the prosecution said on Thursday.
This investigation was opened on the counts of “deceit aggravated by the danger to human health”, “involuntary attacks on physical integrity” and “endangering the lives of others”, after a complaint filed on May 19 by the consumer defense association Foodwatch France, which itself brought together several complaints from the families of victims. The Public Health Pole of the Paris Court of Justice has taken up the facts denounced.
Kinder Surprises, Schoko-Bons and other Mini-Eggs, contaminated with salmonella, a bacterium causing sometimes severe gastroenteritis, have made hundreds of children sick all over Europe, including 118 cases in France, among 22 of whom even had to be hospitalized, according to Public Health France. At the end of May, for the first time since the start of the Kinder affair two months ago, Nicolas Neykov, boss in France of Ferrero, the parent company of the chocolate brand, came out of silence in our pages, when of a meeting with readers and consumers affected by this scandal.
324 confirmed cases in EU and UK
Salmonellosis, due to a bacterium, causes symptoms similar to those of sometimes acute gastroenteritis: diarrhea and abdominal cramps, slight fever, vomiting. This new investigation into food safety comes shortly after that targeting Buitoni pizzas marketed by the Nestlé group, which caused several serious cases of contamination of children by the Escherichia coli bacterium.
In early April, in the height of chocolate season as the Easter holidays approached, Italian confectionery giant Ferrero recalled all products made at its factory in Arlon, Belgium, after dozens of cases were reported. of salmonellosis possibly linked to the consumption of its chocolate products in several European countries. Belgian justice opened an investigation on April 11 to establish possible responsibilities within the Kinder factory in Arlon.
Kinder Surprise, Kinder Mini Eggs, Kinder Surprise Maxi 100 g and Kinder Schoko-Bons were concerned, in all the countries where they are distributed, and regardless of the expiry date. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said that as of May 18, 324 confirmed and 58 probable cases of monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium had been detected in European Union countries and Great Britain. Children under the age of 10 have been the main victims of this infection, with no deaths recorded to date.