Police searches have been carried out at six Ferrero offices in Belgium and Luxembourg in connection with the salmonella cases linked to the company’s Kinder chocolates produced in the Arlon factory in Belgium.
The searches were carried out by the federal judicial police and the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (AFSCA). Documents and computer equipment were seized and will be investigated, according to Belga News Agency.
In addition to the Arlon factory, raids took place in Brussels offices, while in Luxembourg the headquarters of the multinational “Casa Ferrero” were searched.
The police investigation aims to establish whether Ferrero management bare any responsibility for the contamination and whether compliance with the monitoring of the food chain was breached. It will also analyse the communication or non-communication of information to the health authorities.
Arlon factory
Production at the Arlon factory was stopped on 8 April this year and has not been restarted since. While the site was set to reopen on 13 June, management has admitted that more time is needed, while the searches are likely to also delay the reopening.
The Luxembourg prosecutor’s office had opened a judicial investigation against Ferrero in April.
Related News
- Salmonella outbreak at Ferrero causes 19 hospitalisations in Belgium
- 10,000 Belgians compensated by Ferrero over salmonella contamination
- Cause of salmonella contamination in Kinder chocolate determined, says Ferrero
Hundreds of salmonellosis cases in Europe were linked to the outbreak at the Ferrero chocolate factory in Arlon. This saw 10,000 Belgians compensated by Ferrero, with a total of over €2 million paid out to customers.
The recall of Ferrero products was one of the largest of its kind in over twenty years, according to the General Manager of Ferrero France.
