The Food Safety Management Authority of Ho Chi Minh City has plans to inspect Ferrero’s Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs at local supermarkets after the products were recalled in Europe over suspected salmonella infections.

A representative from the food safety watchdog told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Saturday that the agency was still waiting for the Ministry of Industry and Trade to provide further details on the shipment number and product quality of Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs in the country.

In the meantime, the agency has drawn up an inspection plan and will consider collecting product samples for testing if the Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs sold in Vietnam are related to those being recalled by European countries.

If there is a conclusion on possible risks to consumers, relevant units will be required to stop trading and immediately recall the chocolate eggs, the representative affirmed.

The food safety authority has confirmed that local retailers are selling Kinder Surprise products but further verification is needed to identify the exact batches that these products came from.

There has not been any complaint from consumers in Vietnam but everyone is advised to stop buying the Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs during this period.

A representative of MM Mega Market said that the supermarket does sell Kinder Surprise products, but they were made in India.

MM Mega Market is working closely with suppliers to review the products and will suspend the sale if necessary.

Other supermarkets such as Big C and Saigon Co.op are also reviewing their products and are ready to work with authorities and suspend sales when requested.

According to Tuoi Tre reporters’ observation, Kinder Joy chocolate eggs, also produced by Ferrero, are more common than Kinder Surprise products in Ho Chi Minh City.

An employee at a local shop said that the chocolate eggs are quite a hit among children as they can also obtain toys along with eating the chocolate.

It is easier to find Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs on online stores and e-commerce platforms.

The Kinder Surprise eggs fetch a higher price than Kinder Joy, sold at VND35,000-50,000 (US$1.5-2.1) apiece and originating in Russia, India, and Germany.

On April 5, Italian confectionary group Ferrero announced that it was recalling Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs in seven European countries due to suspicions that the products were linked to dozens of salmonella infections.

Salmonella is a bacteria that causes an intestinal infection, which can result in such symptoms as diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain.

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