Indonesia’s Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has issued an immediate recall and announced a public warning against Kinder Joy products from Italian confectionery company Ferrero, as their distribution is temporarily halted over a salmonella scare.
“The public definitely should not buy and consume [Kinder Joy]. BPOM is currently conducting tests for the products that are distributed in Indonesia. Since this is a children’s snack, we prioritize caution,” BPOM Head Penny K Lukito said today.
According to Penny, the agency is obtaining random samples of Kinder Joys for testing, but no date for the announcement of the results has been set. The local distributor of Kinder Joys has also been instructed to recall the treat in the meantime.
The agency said that the temporary suspension of the product is a cautionary measure, but noted that the Kinder brand chocolates distributed in Indonesia have different origins from those recalled in Europe and beyond.
In Indonesia, Kinder Joy comes in its famous egg-shaped plastic packaging that splits into two, with one half containing cocoa and milk cream layers while the other contains a toy and a spoon on the wrapper. It’s worth noting that the Kinder Joy products registered to BPOM originated from a Ferrero factory in India with variants such as Kinder Joy for Boys and Kinder Joy for Girls — with different toys that appeal to either gender.
Kinder products being recalled in other countries, including in Singapore, originated from a Ferrero factory in Belgium, where the country’s health authorities have ordered the manufacturer to suspend production after an investigation on salmonella contamination to the chocolates.
Also Read – Viral: Indonesian dad begs stores to move pricey Kinder Joy eggs away from cashier in open letter
