Kinder Surprise chocolate egg product recalled in UAE over salmonella factory link

One variety of the popular chocolate brand on sale in the Emirates has been removed from the shelves

The Kinder Surprise Maxi 100 GR has been recalled in the UAE over fears it could have been contaminated by salmonella. Photo: Ferrero Gulf

The manufacturer of Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs has voluntarily recalled a product on sale in the UAE made by a European factory at the centre of a salmonella scare as a precautionary measure.

Dozens of children fell ill in the UK following the outbreak involving several Kinder chocolate products, including 200-gram egg and three-pack of eggs, which were recalled earlier this week.

The recall has since widened in the UK to include more items.

But only one Kinder product on sale in the UAE has been removed from the shelves in relation to the recall, said Didier Laffineur, regional managing director for Ferrero Gulf.

“Following the news in Europe of reported cases of salmonella related to Kinder products manufactured in Belgium, Ferrero Gulf wants to reassure our consumers and customers in the GCC that no Kinder product has tested positive for salmonella," he told The National.

“In addition, among all the products sold in the GCC by Ferrero and sourced from eight factories, only one item, the large Kinder Surprise Maxi 100 GR, is produced in the Belgian factory.

“As a precaution, we, at Ferrero Gulf, have voluntarily recalled Kinder Surprise Maxi 100 GR in Qatar and the UAE.

“At Ferrero, the health and safety of our consumers is our number one priority."

The recall applies to specific batches of Kinder Surprise Maxi 100 GR, which were manufactured in Belgium with the expiry date of October 1, 2022, he said.

The UK Health Security Agency said on Wednesday that 63 people in the UK, mostly young children, are known to have been infected with salmonella in the outbreak possibly linked to the treats.

No deaths had been reported in the UK. Most cases involved children aged 5 and under.

Symptoms of salmonella, which include diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and fever, usually begin to manifest between six hours and six days after the infection and can last four to seven days.

Most people recover without treatment, but antibiotics are used in severe cases, which can develop in young children or people with weakened immune systems.