Big Y Recalls Kinder Chocolates Over Potential Salmonella Outbreak

MASSACHUSETTS — A chocolate corporation recalled some of its sweets because of potential salmonella contamination. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported Ferrero U.S.A. Inc.'s voluntary recall of certain products, including treats marketed for Easter.

Ferrero's recall includes Kinder Mix Chocolate Treats Basket, sold in 14 Big Y Supermarket locations in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The Big Y locations in Massachusetts that could be affected are in Easton, Holden, Kingston, Longmeadow, Milford, Norwell, Norwood, Springfield and Walpole.

The other affected product was Kinder Happy Moments Milk Chocolate and Crispy Wafers Assortment, and not sold to Massachusetts.

No other products from Ferrero's Kinder brand that were produced for the U.S. market were included in the decision, according to the FDA.

The company manufactured the chocolates at a facility in Arlon, Belgium, where salmonella was detected. The Arlon plant accounts for about 7 percent of Kinder products globally. Ferrero suspended operations with the facility.

"Ferrero acknowledges there were internal inefficiencies, creating delays in retrieving and sharing information in a timely manner," the company said in a news release

There have been no reports of illness linked to Ferraro's products in the United States, according to the FDA's Thursday announcement. But the company recalled the products because of reported salmonella cases from consumers in Europe that they manufactured at the Belgium facility.

Anyone who purchased the affected products should not eat them. Customers can get refunds by contacting Ferrero's customer-service line online or by calling 1-800-688-3552 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems, according to the FDA. Others often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Salmonella causes 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths per year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

See the FDA's announcement for full info on the recalls.

Patch writer Josh Bakan contributed to this report.