SINGAPORE - The recall of Kinder products – including its popular Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs – from the market in Singapore over salmonella contamination concerns has been widened, ahead of the Easter weekend.
This follows a new recall alert issued by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland due to the possible presence of salmonella, said Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on Tuesday (April 12).
In an update, the agency said the items are Kinder Schokobons (all pack sizes with all expiry dates), Kinder Surprise Maxi (100g packs with all expiry dates), Kinder Mini Eggs (75g packs with all expiry dates) and Kinder Egg Hunt Kit (150g packs with all expiry dates).
All the affected batches are made in Belgium.
SFA has directed five importers - Kaimay Trading, Heinemann Asia-Pacific, Focus Network Agencies (Singapore), Walluco and Le Petit Depot - to recall the items.
The recall is ongoing.
People who have eaten the products and have concerns about their health should seek medical advice, the agency said. Consumers with inquiries may contact the stores from which they bought their products or importers, it added.
Salmonella can cause food-borne illnesses such as fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea.
Last Wednesday (April 6), SFA issued a product recall for batches of Kinder Surprise eggs which have a best-before date of between July 11 and Oct 7 this year.
SFA on Friday (April 8) extended the recall to three more products by Kinder - Kinder Mini Eggs (75g), Kinder Egg Hunt Kit (150g) and Kinder Surprise Maxi (100g) - with specific expiry dates for each item.
Kinder chocolates are made by Italian confectionery group Ferrero.
According to American newspaper USA Today, the company said last Friday that all affected products, including the ones in the United States, were made in a factory in Arlon, Belgium, and that salmonella was first detected at the site on Dec 15.
The company has suspended operations there until further notice.
A Ferrero spokesman in Singapore told The Straits Times that while Ferrero Asia-Pacific does not import any products from Arlon, Belgium, into Singapore, it understands that some of these products may be available in the market through alternative channels.
“We have been working with the local authorities to assist in their investigations. For consumers who have one of these products, please do not consume it,” said the spokesman, adding that consumers who have the products should keep them and contact the store they bought them from.
“We deeply regret this matter. We take food safety extremely seriously, and every step we have taken has been guided by our commitment to consumer care.”
All other Ferrero products, including other Kinder products, are not affected by this recall, said the spokesman.
Kinder products in several countries, including the US and Britain, have also been hit by product recalls owing to similar concerns.
More than 100 cases of salmonella poisoning, mostly affecting children aged 10 and below, were reported in Europe, according to reports.
Mr Ken Ong, 40, who works in Ong Jit Sang Sundries Store in Braddell, said its Kinder chocolate products are not among those affected by the recall.
“The products being recalled are actually not that popular in Singapore. I don’t think that the sales of the Kinder products at our store will be affected because the products are obviously not the same,” he added.
Meanwhile, FairPrice has activated a product recall for Kinder Mini Eggs (75g), which has been removed from shelves, said a spokesman for the supermarket chain in response to ST.
“The affected batch of the Kinder Mini Eggs (75g) is only available at selected FairPrice Finest stores and has an expiry date of between April 20 and Aug 21,” said the spokesman.
Customers who have bought the affected products from FairPrice may return them to the store for a full refund by April 25.
For queries, they may contact its customer relations hotline on 6380-5858 or submit them through its website.
