Recently, many countries in Europe and the United States have reported cases of Salmonella typhimurium infection, and investigations have pointed the source of the infection to Kinder produced by Ferrero Group in Belgium. These chocolates have been sold to 113 countries and regions, including China.
The global recall of related chocolates has begun. It is recommended that everyone follow the reminder of the General Administration of Customs of China, not to buy and eat related products. If you have eaten the recalled product and develop symptoms of infection, seek medical attention immediately.
Chocolate contaminates salmonella?
In mid-December 2021 and January 2022, Salmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium was found in jars of buttermilk used for processing at the Arlon Chocolate Factory in Belgium through internal inspections . The factory cleaned the production line, destroyed the affected semi-finished products and tested the newly produced chocolate for Salmonella, which continued to be sold worldwide after the results came back negative.
On January 7 this year, the first case of Salmonella Typhimurium infection was detected in the UK. A month later, there were more than a dozen cases in the UK, mostly children under the age of 10. Subsequently, several countries reported cases one after another.
As of April 25, 151 suspected cases of Salmonella Typhimurium linked to consumption of associated chocolate have been reported in 11 countries, including the UK, Belgium, France, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain and USA.
These cases had symptom onset dates from December 21, 2021 to March 28, 2022. Among them, the proportion of children under the age of 10 was significantly higher than the previous Salmonella infection (89%). Of the 21 reported symptoms and severity, 57% reported bloody diarrhea, 43% were hospitalized, and no related deaths were reported as of April 25.
The strains isolated from these patients matched those previously found in chocolate factories. Meanwhile, 88 of the 101 patients reported previous consumption of Ferrero chocolate. As a result, investigators linked the recent outbreak to chocolate products. However, the exact source, time and cause of bacterial contamination still needs further investigation to clarify.
Belgium halted production at the plant in April, and the International Network of Food Safety Authorities (INFOSAN) issued a global alert on April 10 to share information about the outbreak and initiate a global product recall .
Currently, WHO assesses the risk of disease transmission in the European region and globally as moderate.
Which chocolates can’t be eaten?
In the face of the current situation, Ferrero has successively released news around the world, saying that it is proactively recalling Kinder chocolates produced at the Arlon factory, including all batches and expiration dates.
Ferrero China stated on April 9 that all Kinder products produced in China and imported to mainland China (including in transit and on sale through official channels) are all related to the Belgian production plant involved. Not related in any way and not within the scope of this recall.
April 9 Statement | Ferrero China
But on April 14, Ferrero China issued an announcement again, saying that some products may enter the Chinese market through non-company authorized sales channels (cross-border e-commerce, overseas shopping, entrepot trade, etc.) , the company will provide assistance in the recall of some products.
April 14 Statement | Ferrero China
On April 15th, The General Administration of Customs of China also reminded consumers not to purchase related chocolate products produced by the Ferrero Group’s factory in Arlon, Belgium for the time being through any channels, such as Stop eating immediately and contact the company.
Salmonellosis is at risk for the elderly and children
Salmonella is one of the most common foodborne pathogens, spread primarily through the fecal-oral route. Many foods may carry Salmonella due to improper production, transportation, sales, and preparation. Poultry and livestock meat are most commonly affected, followed by eggs, milk and dairy products, mostly animals Caused by infection before death or contamination during processing.
Salmonella has more than 2,500 serotypes, of which Salmonella Typhimurium is one of the more common. Studies have shown that about 70% of gastroenteritis is caused by Salmonella infection, of which Salmonella typhimurium is a common pathogen. The incubation period of infection is usually 6 to 24 hours, and patients generally have abrupt onset, with symptoms such as fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and blood in the stool.
Salmonella infection should not be too scary for immunocompetent people. Because normally, Salmonella infection requires sufficient amount of bacteria to enter the mouth to overcome the effects of gastric acid and intestinal local immunity. Also, WHO does not recommend routine antibiotics for previously healthy mild-to-moderate cases.Bacterial treatment. The bacteria may not be completely eliminated, and drug-resistant strains may result, rendering the drug ineffective.
But for the elderly, infants, and the immunocompromised, Salmonella infections require more attention. In these populations, Salmonella infection can cause severe symptoms such as severe dehydration, sepsis, and even risk of shock and death.
Salmonella-contaminated food usually doesn’t change significantly in appearance, smell, or taste, and anyone can get salmonella. If you have the above symptoms of infection, especially if there are elderly people or infants at home, you should seek medical attention in time. Treatment for severe cases is electrolyte replacement (providing electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and chloride ions, which are lost through vomiting and diarrhea) and fluid replacement.
Preventing Salmonella infection is mainly about hygienic management of water sources and food to avoid contamination. Due to the characteristics of the food industry itself, once a contamination incident occurs, the same batch of food is often affected. In addition to transportation and sales, the scope is often wider or the number of people affected is large. This requires the food industry to standardize production and sales, and also requires regulatory agencies to strengthen supervision, such as strictly requiring personnel not to work in the catering industry during the period of infection, strict quality control in each link, and requiring the retention of food samples for convenience Traceability after an accident, etc.
And for individuals, there are things you can do to reduce your risk of infection. Salmonella is not resistant to high temperature and will be killed in 5 minutes at 70°C, and almost immediately at 100°C, so when families prepare food, It is best to separate the raw and cooked chopping boards and cook them thoroughly before Make sure food is cooked. In addition to this, general precautions include: washing hands with soap and water, especially after touching pets or farm animals, or after using the toilet; drinking only pasteurized or boiled milk; and washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
References
[1]https:https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON369
[2]https:https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2022/04/timing-and-scale-of-chocolate-outbreak-required-urgent-response-says-study /
[3]https:https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2022/04/timeline-issues-raised-in-multi-country-salmonella-outbreak-traced-to-ferreros -kinder-chocolate/
[4]https:https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2022/04/kinder-chocolate-recall-hits-u-s-as-belgian-officials-close-plant-linked -to-outbreak/
[5]Zhu Wanfu, Zhuang Hui, editor-in-chief. Medical Microbiology. Peking University Medical Press
Author: Dai Tianyi, Li Xiaoqiu
Edit: odette