PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Easter is right around the corner, but one company is recalling two popular brands of chocolate due to potential salmonella contamination.
Ferrero U.S.A., based in Parsippany, New Jersey, is voluntarily recalling its Kinder Happy Moments Chocolate Assortment and Kinder Mix Chocolate Treats basket products, according to an updated notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
In its updated alert on Tuesday, Ferrero added a warning for consumers that there may be some other Kinder products -- outside of the recall -- that are also being sold, that were intended for foreign markets and unauthorized for sale in the U.S.
The company is recommending that consumers throw the products away, the FDA said in its release.
In its initial recall notice, Ferrero stated that the two products, which were sold in several U.S. markets, may have been contaminated with salmonella typhimurium.
“While there are no reports of illness in the United States to date, Ferrero is voluntarily recalling the products out of an abundance of caution due to reported cases of Salmonella in consumers that consumed products in Europe that were manufactured at the same facility,” the FDA said in its news release.
No other Kinder products distributed or sold by Ferrero U.S.A. are included in the updated recall, the FDA said.
The Kinder Happy Moments Chocolate Assortment is packaged in a 14.1-ounce square box with a lid and has a sell-by date of July 18, 2022, according to NJ.com. According to the FDA, the lot numbers for the recalled product, which can be found on the item’s back panel, are: 48RUP334, 48RUP335, 48RUP 336 and 48RUP337.
This product was most likely sold at BJ’s Wholesale Club stores nationwide, and at Costco stores in the San Francisco area and in Northern Nevada, the FDA said.
The Kinder Mix Chocolate Treats Basket comes in a 5.3-ounce cardboard basket with a sell-by date of July 30, 2022, according to the FDA.
This product was most likely sold at 14 Big Y Supermarket locations in Connecticut and Massachusetts, NJ.com reported. The lot number for this recalled product is 03L 018AR – 306 and is located on the back panel, according to the website.
The packaging must have the following description printed on the back: “Excl. Dist. Ferrero U.S.A., Inc., Parsippany, NJ 07054,” Ferrero said in the voluntary recall. If it does not, consumers are urged to throw the products away.
Consumers who have purchased the two products can contact the Ferrero customer service line, 800-688-3552, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT Mondays through Fridays. Consumers can also visit https://www.ferreronorthamerica.com/contact-US-residentsExternal Link Disclaimer for product replacement.