Ferrero accused of downplaying salmonella contamination

Known for its Nutella and Kinder brands, the agro-industrial group Ferrero is accused of having minimized the extent of salmonella contamination in 2022, according to a report broadcast by France 2 in the program Complément d’investigation.

Ferrero declared in April 2022 that salmonella had been detected on December 15, 2021 in its factory in Arlon, Belgium, because of a “filter at the outlet of the two raw material tanks”. However, the broadcast reveals that a total of 81 salmonella-positive samples were taken between December 3, 2021 and January 25, 2022. This report is based on a document from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) , passed almost unnoticed.

Ferrero denies all allegations

Requested by AFP, the company “intends to emphasize that the quality and safety of its products have always been and will always be at the heart of its concerns”, and that it “rejects all allegations according to which it could have been otherwise “.

Accused in particular by consumer defense associations of having been slow to react, Ferrero is the target of legal investigations in Belgium and France. This is why the company notes to the AFP that “investigations (to which the secrecy of the investigation applies in particular) are underway” and that it “can therefore not make further comments”.

Mass withdrawal of Kinder Surprise and Kinder Mini Eggs

Ferrero has massively withdrawn products like Kinder Surprise and Kinder Mini Eggs in 2022 after cases of salmonellosis in Europe, mostly affecting children under 10, although no deaths have been reported.

The Arlon production site, closed in 2022, partially resumed its activities in September 2022 after a green light from the Belgian authorities, but again interrupted part of its production in July 2023 after the detection of salmonella in the “walls”. and plinths”.