Swiss chocolate giant Barry Callebaut has announced it has suspended production at its factory in Wieze, Belgium – the world’s largest chocolate factory – after an outbreak of salmonella was detected, an incident that comes just months after that an outbreak at a Ferrero chocolate factory has been linked to more than 300 sick people worldwide.
Main facts
- In a press release, Barry Callebaut said it had stopped production after detecting salmonella in a production batch from its Wieze plant.
- The company informed Belgian food authorities of the outbreak and blocked all products produced since the test.
- The chocolate maker also addresses customers who have purchased contaminated products, the press release adds.
- Barry Callebaut experts identified lecithin, an additive used in chocolate production, as the source of the contamination.
- The company said it planned to get to the root of the problem while keeping regulators informed and added that production would not resume until the investigation was complete and production lines cleaned and disinfected.
- Zurich-listed Barry Callebaut shares fell 2.67% in the afternoon.
- On its website, Barry Callebaut states that its chocolates are used by food and beverage manufacturers, pastry chefs, bakeries, hotels, restaurants and chocolatiers. Last year, the company announced the extension of its strategic supply agreement with US chocolate maker Hershey. It is not known if the Wieze plant manufactured any products used by Hershey.
The context
Earlier this year, 369 people, mostly children, from 16 different countries contracted salmonella after eating contaminated Kinder chocolate eggs made at a Ferrero factory in Belgium. After initially downplaying the risks, Ferrero was forced to close its factory in April by Belgian authorities. The company has also recalled some of its Kinder products from the US market, due to contamination risks. The Italian chocolatier’s factory in Arlon was allowed to reopen earlier this month, under strict conditions including close monitoring of raw materials and finished products to ensure they meet all food safety standards.
Article translated from Forbes US – Author: Siladitya Ray
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