Health officials have warned families in Gedling borough that Kinder chocolate linked to a salmonella outbreak should not be eaten this Easter
The warning comes after 70 children, most of whom are under five, have fallen ill with the poisoning in the UK.
A ‘Rapid Outbreak Assessment’ released by the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said it had matched the same salmonella strain currently infecting people to samples taken from a factory in Belgium last December.
Belgian authorities took the decision to shut down the chocolate factory last week following several cases of the disease in Europe and the United States.
In the UK a recall of certain Kinder chocolate products has been extended to include all of those manufactured at the site since June, regardless of their best-before date.
Authorities have warned Kinder Surprise, Kinder Mini Eggs, Kinder Egg Hunt Kit and Kinder Schokobons should not be eaten.
Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA, said: ‘We’re reminding people of the recall this Bank Holiday weekend as it’s possible these products have been bought and stored as gifts, or for events such as Easter trails.
‘It’s crucial these products are not eaten and are discarded.
‘Salmonella infection can be severe and many children affected in this outbreak have been very unwell and hospitalised, so anyone giving chocolate products to friends or family should take extra care to ensure their Easter gifts are not amongst those products recalled.’
Emily Miles, chief executive of the Food Standards Agency, said: ‘As we go into the Easter weekend, we are strongly urging consumers to follow the advice in the latest recall notice and to check any Kinder products they might have already bought against the list detailed in the notice, as they may pose a risk to health.
‘If they do have any products on the list, they should not eat them and should discard them immediately.’
Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can cause symptoms including diarrhoea, fever and stomach cramps in humans, and is one of the most common food-borne infections.
Anyone with concerns that they might have salmonellosis is urged to contact their GP or call NHS 111.
