Following investigations conducted by Belgian health authorities, in collaboration with their British, European, and notably French counterparts, Ferrero issued a recall on April 5, 2022, for several products in the Kinder range manufactured at a factory in Belgium due to suspected contamination with Salmonella Typhimurium. On April 8, 2022, the recall was ultimately expanded to include all Kinder products from that factory, regardless of their expiration date. On April 14, 2022, an update to the list of recalled products, including the 2021 Christmas Advent Calendars, was issued.

Cases of salmonellosis in France: status as of June 2, 2022

As of June 2, 2022, a total of 118 cases of salmonellosis caused by a strain associated with the outbreak have been identified by the National Reference Center (CNR) for Salmonella at the Pasteur Institute in France (Figure 1).

The 118 cases are spread across 12 metropolitan regions (Île-de-France (24 cases), Grand Est (19 cases), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (17 cases), Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (17 cases), Hauts-de-France (9 cases), Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (7 cases), Occitanie (7 cases), Normandy (6 cases), Nouvelle-Aquitaine (6 cases), Brittany (3 cases), Corsica (2 cases), and Pays de la Loire (1 case)), with a median age of 4 years, and involve 57 girls and 61 boys.

Fifty-one cases were interviewed by Santé publique France. All but one of the cases reported consuming chocolates from the brand mentioned here prior to the onset of their symptoms (which occurred between January 20 and April 4, 2022).

Twenty-two people were hospitalized for salmonellosis; all have since been discharged. No deaths have been reported.

Since the implicated foods have been identified and management measures implemented, weekly updates have been discontinued. Santé publique France continues to monitor case reports from the National Reference Laboratory (NR), which are expected due to the various delays inherent in surveillance (see the infographic on food alerts).

The successive recalls and withdrawals of the affected Kinder brand products, manufactured at the Belgian plant—which has since been shut down by Belgian authorities—should limit the occurrence of new salmonellosis cases in France linked to these chocolates.

Any identification of new cases with isolation dates occurring after the withdrawal and recall measures will be investigated as necessary.

For a list of products affected by the recall: https://rappel.conso.gouv.fr/

Anyone who has consumed the products mentioned above and is experiencing symptoms (gastrointestinal distress, fever within 72 hours of consumption) is advised to consult their primary care physician immediately and inform them of this consumption.

To limit person-to-person transmission (particularly in households with young children), it is recommended to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the restroom, after changing a child, and before cooking.