Belgian food agency closes Ferrero factory, all products recalled

The Belgian federal food agency (AFSCA) has closed the Ferrero chocolate factory in Arlon due to the recent salmonella outbreak. All products manufactured in the factory are also recalled.

Manufacturer must provide guarantees

“Based on the investigations carried out by the AFSCA and the observation made over the last few hours that the company is unable to supply complete information for this investigation, the Agency is today withdrawing the authorisation for the factory in Arlon”, the Belgian food safety agency reports on its website. All products that were produced in Arlon will be recalled: this includes all products of the type Kinder Surprise, Kinder Surprise Maxi, Kinder Mini Eggs and Schoko-bons, regardless of the batch number or the expiry date. Retailers are also asked to remove the products from the shelves.

The AFSCA says it is following up closely all steps taken by Ferrero, and will only allow the factory to reopen when the manufacturer can offer the necessary guarantees regarding the observance of the rules and regulations for food safety. The agency is also demanding that Ferrero improve its customer service.

In the past few days Ferrero already received a lot of criticism for its late and poor crisis communication. This decision of the AFSCA is therefore a firm blow for the chocolate manufacturer.