Ferrero has confirmed that production lines at its Arlon plant in Belgium will be suspended for approximately one month due to the detection of salmonella in the skirting boards.
In a joint statement on 3 July, Belgium’s food-safety body, the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC), and Ferrero confirmed the presence of salmonella at the factory, which was previously hit by an outbreak last year.
Ferrero announced the halt of the affected production lines on 3 July, reiterating this in a statement released on 6 July. The FASFC stated that an investigation is currently ongoing, being carried out through good cooperation between Ferrero and the food-safety body, as mentioned in an update issued on 10 July.
Ferrero has emphasized that no Kinder products have tested positive for salmonella this time, noting that “none have left our facilities” on 3 July. This statement was reiterated on Thursday, alongside the clarification that “no end product tested positive.” The suspension of some production lines is necessary for cleaning and sanitation measures.
Regarding media reports suggesting the closure of the Arlon plant, a Ferrero spokesperson informed Just Food that the production suspension on the affected lines is planned for approximately one month, with no impact on employment at the plant.
During 2022, hundreds of people across the globe fell sick after consuming Ferrero’s Kinder chocolate, which was linked to production at the Arlon plant. This incident prompted a massive worldwide recall of Kinder products.
Last year, following the identification of the factory as the source of monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium, Ferrero was ordered to temporarily halt operations at Arlon by the food-safety agency on 8 April 2022. Ferrero initiated a global recall of Kinder products after the first illnesses were reported in the UK on 7 January that year.
Salmonella Typhimurium was detected at the plant on 15 December 2021, as publicly acknowledged by Ferrero the following April. The company stated that the “point of origin was identified to be a filter at the outlet of two raw material tanks” and that “materials and finished products were blocked and not released.”
The Arlon site eventually received final approval to fully resume manufacturing in September of last year, approximately nine months after the initial detection.
Ferrero emphasized on Thursday that it is conducting every step of the process in full and transparent cooperation with the Belgian food-safety authority.
