According to Ferrero’s Director General France, contamination of products caused a loss of “40 % of turnover” of the group over Easter period. In mid-April, 150 cases of salmonellosis had been detected in nine European countries.
Le Monde with AFP
Millions of Kinder products, representing more than 3,000 tonnes, have been withdrawn from the market in France after the detection of many cases of salmonellosis in Europe, announced the director general France of Ferrero in an interview with Parisien, published Thursday May 26.
“This crisis hurts our hearts. This is the biggest reminder of products for the past twenty years. And it concerns the favorite brand of the French”, regretted Nicolas Neykov, who speaks for the first times since the start of the health scandal. In mid-April, 150 cases of salmonellosis had been detected in nine European countries, including 81 cases in France, mainly in children under10.
“According to our investigations”, contamination comes from “a filter located in a dairy butter” of the Arlon factory in Belgium and would have been caused “either by contaminated raw materials or by people “, according to him. Asked about the presence of salmonella detected in December in the Belgian factory, the director general of Ferrero France specifies that the factory was then closed, cleaned, and that everything that was made there was thrown:
All of our tests carried out the following days are negative, which then allows us to reopen the factory. At that time, we are absolutely certain that no contaminated product has been put on the market. What happened afterwards? The survey will say it.
40 % of the turnover lost over the Easter period
The health scandal would have caused the loss of “40 % of turnover” of the group over Easter period.
The Arlon factory, in Belgian Ardennes, from which the accused Kinder products came, was stopped in early April. All the products made on this site (Kinder Surprise, Kinder Mini Eggs, Kinder Surprise Maxi 100 g and Kinder Schoko-Bons) were recalled. “We asked for a reopening from June 13 to restart production as soon as possible,” said Ferrero France director.
m. Neykov also announced that, now 50 % of health checks would be “carried out by an approved external laboratory”. For the time being, everything is based on an internal self -control system.
The group presented a plan on May 4 to Belgian health authorities and 1,000 factory employees work seven days a week to reopen. Ten thousand pieces will be dismantled and cleaned one by one. The manager has reiterated the apologies already presented by the group, and recognized failures.