Because of salmonella Belgium closes the factory "Kinder" and "Ferrero" apologizes

The Belgian Food Safety Agency announced on Friday that it had ordered a halt to work at the Kinder chocolate factory, after some of the products made in it were attributed to causing salmonella infections, accusing the Italian giant of providing "incomplete information".

Food giant Ferrero admitted in a statement Friday that there are "internal loopholes", after the suspension of its factory that produces "Kinder" chocolate in Belgium, after its products were suspected of causing salmonella infections.

The Italian group said it "deeply regrets this case", offering a "sincere apology to all consumers and business partners."

She stressed that "all necessary measures are taken to maintain the full confidence of our consumers."

Ferrero's statement came after the Belgian Food Safety Agency announced Friday that it had ordered the suspension of work at the Kinder chocolate factory, which was attributed to some products made in it of causing salmonella infections, accusing the Italian giant of providing "incomplete information."

The Belgian authority said: "Several weeks ago, more than a hundred cases of salmonella were detected in Europe," pointing to the identification of a "link" at the end of last month between these infections and products from the Ferrero factory in the Belgian city of Arlon.

The authority added that after investigations, "and following observations recorded in the last hours that showed that Ferrero provided incomplete information, the authority is today withdrawing the license granted to the Ferrero production plant in Arlon."

The authority also issued an order to withdraw all Kinder products manufactured on the aforementioned site from the market.

The authority explained in a statement that this comprehensive withdrawal includes "all products of the Kinder Surprise, Kinder Surprise Maxi, Kinder Mini Eggs and Schoko-bons, regardless of product groups or their expiration date."

And it asked "distribution companies to withdraw all these products from store shelves."

The health authority stated that it "will closely follow the steps taken by Ferrero and will not allow the reopening of the site until after ensuring that the institution complies with all rules and obligations related to food safety."

She pointed out that the investigation with Ferrero is continuing, calling on consumers not to eat any of the products in question.

In recent days, the Italian company has recalled Kinder chocolate products in the markets of several European countries (France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden and the Netherlands), as well as in the United States, due to concerns about products made at its Belgian factory in Arlon, suspected of being the source of an outbreak of salmonella.