Ferrero: After finding salmonella in children's chocolate - raids on several locations
Created: 06/10/2022 15:07
By: Tanja Koch
Ferrero remains preoccupied with his salmonella scandal.
© Federico Pestellini/Imago
Authorities confiscated documents from Ferrero during raids.
In addition to responsibility, it should be clarified whether authorities were informed too late.
Brussels – Belgian and Luxembourg investigative authorities searched several locations of the Ferrero confectionery group on Wednesday (June 8).
The raids are part of investigations into a salmonella outbreak in Kinder chocolate products.
According to the public prosecutor of the Belgian province of Luxembourg, among other things, documents and computer hardware were confiscated.
However, no one was arrested.
The Ferrero plant in Arlon, Belgium, where the children's products contaminated with salmonella were manufactured, was affected by one of the raids.
The branch has been closed since April 8 by decision of the health authorities.
There were further raids at locations in Brussels and in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, where Ferrero also has its headquarters.
Ferrero is said to have alerted authorities too late and recalled products too late
The investigations are intended to clarify who is responsible for the salmonella contamination and whether there were omissions in informing the health authorities.
According to the spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office, Anne-Sophie Guilmot, investigations are being carried out into suspected "violations of food safety and hygiene", "negligent bodily harm" and "failure to provide assistance".
The Italian confectionery group is suspected of not alerting the authorities until late and of having recalled the affected children's products too late.
Although salmonella was discovered in a buttermilk tank in Arlon in December 2021, the group only began recalling thousands of tons of children's products in early April.
As of mid-April, European authorities linked 150 cases of salmonellosis in nine countries, including Germany, to Ferrero's chocolate products.
The majority of Salmonella infections occurred in children under the age of ten.
What is salmonella?
Salmonella are bacteria that can cause foodborne infection and often enter the human digestive tract through food.
They multiply in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals and cause diarrhea.
These foods are often contaminated with salmonella
The bacteria can multiply quickly on unrefrigerated food.
Raw and undercooked eggs and egg products such as mayonnaise or raw cake batter are easily infected with salmonella.
Ice cream, raw meat, raw minced meat and raw sausages such as ground pork and salami are also often affected.
contagion and outbreak
Salmonella infection is often caused by eating contaminated food.
However, infection from person to person is also possible via a smear infection.
After infection, the disease breaks out within six to 72 hours.
Babies, small children, the elderly and people with a weakened immune system are particularly at risk.
The Federal Center for Health Education provides detailed information about salmonella on its website.
Ferrero France boss: "Start production again as soon as possible".
The factory in Arlon, Belgium, blamed for the salmonella outbreak, was scheduled to resume operations in mid-June.
"We have requested a restart from June 13 in order to start production again as soon as possible," said Ferrero France boss Nicolas Neykov of the newspaper "Le Parisien".
also read
Asparagus madness: Farmers let the harvest drive out – “You should be ashamed”
Sunflower oil is out?
The ideal replacement can be found in every refrigerated counter - for less than one euro
A hygiene plan was presented to the Belgian authorities at the beginning of May.
A thousand employees are therefore busy preparing for the restart.
10,000 parts in the factory have been dismantled and cleaned individually.
A filter in a tank at the Belgian factory was identified as the cause of the cases of infection with salmonella.
(tk with afp/dpa)
