One of the most important chocolatiers in the world stops production due to salmonella cases

One of the greatest chocolatier in the world stopped its production at one of its factories in Belgium after taking over it salmonella in a batch produced in this plant located in the city of Wieze, about 40 kilometers north of the capital Brussels.

This is the Swiss company Barry Callebautwho communicated the decision that provides for the suspension of the distribution of all the chocolates produced in that establishment after 25 June, as a further precautionary measure.

The company specified that the lecithin, an emulsifier used in the production of chocolate, was the source of the contamination and that all the details of the investigation were reported to the Belgian food safety agency.

“Barry Callebaut is in contact with all customers who may have received contaminated products. Production is suspended until further notice “.the company said.

The company said so will proceed with a complete cleaning of the system. Once all your production lines have been sanitized, you will resume the production process.

The company’s factory in Wieze, which the company considers the largest of its kind in the worlddoes not produce chocolates intended for direct marketing to consumers.

The Barry Callebaut group supplies cocoa and chocolate-based preparations to numerous companiess in the food sector, and in particular to the big brands in the chocolate sector, such as Hershey, Mondelez or Nestlé.

According to its 2021/2022 balance sheet, its annual sales reached 2.2 million tons in that period.

The giant is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, although it has around 60 manufacturing units worldwide and employs around 13,000 people.

In April, the Belgian Food Safety Agency had already decided to close a plant of another giant in the chocolate sector, Kinder (of the Italian group Ferrero), due to a salmonella outbreak.

The salmonella drama

Last 8 April the Ferrero company has closed the Kinder chocolate factory in Belgium, after having withdrawn from the market in several European countries, Argentina and the United States, some batches of its “Kinder Mini Eggs” products, manufactured in the Belgian country, after salmonella cases have been detected in Europe in people who have consumed these Chocolates .

The United Nations Organization (UN) subsequently ratified that the emergence of a salmonella outbreak detected in 10 European countries and the United States would originate in Kinder-branded chocolate products produced in Belgium.

“The main affected by the epidemic are children under the age of 10. Of the 21 serious cases reported, 12 had bloody diarrhea and nine were hospitalized,” the agency warned.

Symptoms of salmonellosis are characterized by onset of high fever, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and bloody diarrhea, as reported in most cases of the current outbreak.

Although salmonella infections are generally mild and do not require treatment, children and the elderly are at increased risk for serious complications from dehydration.

Salmonellosis prevention measures for the public include washing hands with soap and water, particularly after contact with domestic or farm animals, or after going to the bathroom; make sure that the food is well cooked; drink only pasteurized or boiled milk; do not drink ice unless made with potable water and wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly.

With information from Agencies