Barry Callebaut stopped production at one of his factories in Belgium after discovering Salmonella.
The company found the positive production batch on June 27 and blocked all chocolate products made at the Wieze site from testing on June 25. All chocolate production lines have been set up in what some say is the largest chocolate factory in the world.
Lecithin has been identified as the source of contamination. This ingredient is used in the production of chocolate to reduce thickness.
The type of Salmonella found has not been disclosed but it is believed that potentially contaminated products have not reached consumers and no related diseases have been reported.
Barry Callebaut informed the Belgian food authority about the incident and is in the process of contacting customers who may have received affected products so that they can also block any shipments that may be affected.
The Belgian Federal Agency for Food Chain Safety (FASFC) has confirmed that it has been informed of the presence of Salmonella in Barry Callebaut’s production plant.
“We immediately went to the scene to start an investigation in cooperation with the factory. If there appears to be a risk to consumers, we will take the necessary measures. In the current state of investigations, internal information from Barry Callebaut shows that the potentially affected products have not reached the consumer but we are continuing to investigate, ”said a spokesperson.
In a statement, Barry Callebaut said it was a very exceptional case.
“Not only do we have a food safety paper and procedure in place, we also have more than 20 people working on food safety and quality in Europe. At our local site in Wieze, we train our people to recognize the risks to food safety. This allowed us to quickly identify the risk and successfully begin the analysis of the root cause. “
An analysis of the root cause and a risk assessment are ongoing and when completed, the lines are cleaned and disinfected before the production process resumes.
Another salmonella in chocolate accidents
It is the latest in a series of incidents of Salmonella in chocolate so far this year.
Ferrero was recently allowed to resume production at its plant in Arlon, Belgium after a major outbreak of Salmonella linked to Kinder chocolate led to its closure in April.
The single-phase outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium has affected nearly 450 people including 122 in the UK, 118 in France as well as four in Canada and one in the US.
In Israel, Strauss had its site approval for Nof Hagalil suspended for three months in April after about 20 Salmonella infections were linked to factory-produced sweets.
Elite branded items have been recalled from countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom.
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