In recent weeks, Ferrero, the chocolate manufacturer, temporarily paused production at its Arlon factory in Belgium due to the detection of salmonella. This is the second outbreak of salmonella at the factory in this calendar year. The company confirmed that products which were sold had tested negative for the bacteria, but a portion of the production line was shut down as a precautionary measure.
The bacteria was identified near the end of June, but the exact location in the factory, or likely source of the salmonella contamination, remains unclear at this time.
Ferrero promptly informed the relevant authorities about the presence of salmonella and is now working in cooperation with the Belgian food control authority to conduct thorough verification procedures. The cleaning process is estimated to take approximately two weeks. While production has been partially halted, the factory remains open.
This recent salmonella outbreak marks the second incident at the Belgian factory. In the previous outbreak last spring, Ferrero had to recall many other products in many different countries, due to a plethora of salmonella cases. There were over 100 reported cases of salmonellosis linked to the Ferrero outbreak. The contamination was traced back to the Belgian chocolate factory. As a result, the Afsca supervisory authority revoked the production license until all food safety regulations were met. Ferrero regained approval to resume operations at the Arlon plant last September.
Salmonella is mostly found in the intestinal tract or in the blood of the person who contracted the bacteria. Symptoms of salmonella can last for 10 days to two weeks, and in some cases even longer. Symptoms include diarrhea, bloody stool, fever, stomach cramps, vomiting, and dehydration. If symptoms last longer than 6 days or begin to escalate, it is recommended victims contact a doctor and have a stool culture performed.
If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of a Salmonella infection, contact your doctor immediately. Often, symptoms will persist for about a week but can remain for longer periods of time and can even be life-threatening.
A national food poisoning lawyer said, when questioned about the subject, “Foodborne illnesses need to be taken seriously. While most people recover without any long-term impact on their life, there are always those who are more vulnerable in society. Nearly every year our law firm is called in to represent the family of someone who has died form ingesting a deadly pathogen.”
