"The BPOM will temporarily stop the circulation of Kinder brand products until it is confirmed that the product does not contain Salmonella bacteria," Head of the Public Relations Bureau at BPOM Noorman Effendi confirmed in Jakarta, Monday.
The BPOM will conduct random sampling and testing in all regions of Indonesia of registered Kinder brand products.
The activity is being conducted due to the public warning by the United Kingdom's Food Standard Agency (FSA) regarding the recall of Kinder Surprise brand chocolate products. Several countries in Europe have also followed a similar policy, including Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
On April 2, 2022, the FSA issued a public warning regarding the voluntary recall of Kinder Surprise brand chocolate products. It was suspected to be contaminated with Salmonella (non-typhoid) bacteria that can trigger mild symptoms, such as diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps, in consumers.
Some 63 children were reportedly infected with the bacteria, with no recorded mortality.
The BPOM stated that the recalled products were Kinder Surprise brand chocolate in single packs of 20 grams and triple packs of 20 grams each, with an expiry date for each product up to October 7, 2022.
In the press release at www.pom.go.id, the BPOM ensured that all Kinder brand chocolate products recalled in the UK were not registered with the BPOM.
Kinder brand products registered with the BPOM come from India with product variant names, including Kinder Joy, Kinder Joy for Boys, and Kinder Joy for Girls. The product is manufactured by Ferrero India PVP, LTD.
To protect the public, the BPOM will conduct tests using random samples throughout Indonesia on registered Kinder brand products.
The BPOM urges the public to report to BPOM through the HALOBPOM Contact Center or the Consumer Complaints Service Unit (ULPK) at BPOM across Indonesia if they find Kinder brand chocolate products that are not registered with the BPOM.
The BPOM also urges the public to not be easily influenced by circulating issues and always do a CLICK Check (Package Check, Label Check, Marketing Permit Check, and Expiration Check) before buying or consuming food products.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
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