Ferrero Has Recalled These Kinder Chocolates Over Salmonella Concerns

Check your kids’ Easter baskets. Ferrero has recalled two types of chocolates from three retailers located throughout the U.S. out of an abundance of caution: Kinder Happy Moments Chocolate Assortment and Kinder Mix Chocolate Treats Confections Assortment Basket. The company, in cooperation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), voluntarily recalled two of its products in the U.S. on April 12 in response to cases of salmonella reported in Europe linked to products that were manufactured in the same facility. At this time, there have been no confirmed cases of salmonella from the recalled chocolates in the U.S.

“We are working with the three retailers to remove the products so they are no longer available for purchase,” Ferrero said in a statement this week. The company added, “Ferrero deeply regrets this situation. We take food safety extremely seriously and every step we have taken has been guided by our commitment to consumer care.”

The Kinder Happy Moments Chocolate Assortment was distributed in BJ’s Wholesale Club stores and select Costco locations in the Bay area of California and in northern Nevada. The Kinder Mix Chocolate Treats Confections Assortment Basket was distributed in 14 Big Y Supermarket locations in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The products are being removed from store shelves.

You can look at pictures of the recalled products on the FDA’s website to make sure you didn’t purchase one before it was removed.

Kinder Joy, Kinder Bueno, and other Kinder products sold by Ferrero USA in the U.S. are not affected by this recall.

If you have eaten one of the potentially affected products, watch for symptoms of a salmonella infection. These include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Symptoms usually begin six hours to six days after infection and last four to seven days. Some people may develop an infection or a severe illness associated with salmonella and will be recommended an antibiotic treatment, although most people will recover completely on their own.

If you have either of the affected Ferrero products, the FDA recommends you do not eat them and throw them away. You can also call the Ferrero customer service line at 1-800-688-3552 or contact the company online with any further questions regarding the recall or to receive a product replacement.