Five people who became ill due to a salmonella outbreak linked to Kinder chocolate products had to be hospitalised, according to a report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Kinder products have been recalled across Europe due to links to a significant salmonella outbreak at Italian confectionery company Ferroro's factory in Belgium last December.
In an update published on Tuesday, the ECDC said there have 150 cases across Europe linked to the outbreak.
The majority of infections are among children younger than 10, the ECDC said, with many of them requiring hospitalisation.
The reported number of cases more than doubled within three weeks, from 57 cases in five countries on March 18th to 150 cases in 10 countries on April 8th.
The increase is "most notable" in France, Ireland, and the UK, the update added.
There have been 15 confirmed cases in the State, of which 33 per cent were hospitalised.
In the UK, 65 cases have been confirmed with 43 per cent of these being hospitalised, while in France, there have been 25 confirmed cases, with half being hospitalised.
According to the ECDC, Salmonella Typhimurium was detected in a buttermilk tank at the factory in Arlon in Belgium during the manufacturer's own checks in December 2021.
After implementing hygiene measures and negative Salmonella testing, it then distributed the chocolate products across Europe and globally.
However, at the end of March, upon availability of sequencing data, scientists linked human cases to Belgium through advanced molecular typing techniques.
Ferrero has since recalled some of its products and shut the factory while the HSE and the Food Safety Authority of Ireland issued public health warnings.
Ferrero has extended its recall of Kinder products to include all best before dates.
Specific products it listed for recall include Kinder Surprise (20g and 100g); Kinder Mini Eggs (75g); Kinder Egg Hunt Kit (150g); and Kinder Schokobons (all sizes).
“The great majority of people who have become ill in this wider outbreak have reported eating Kinder products [manufactured by Ferrero] in the days before they became unwell,” the HSE said.
Symptoms of salmonella infection in children include nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea, but are mild in the majority of cases.
Parents have been advised that if their children develop worrying symptoms such as a lot of diarrhoea, diarrhoea with blood in it, extensive vomiting, high temperature or severe headache, they should seek medical attention from a GP.
