Europe's health agency said on Wednesday that it was investigating dozens of reported and suspected cases of salmonella in at least nine countries that were linked with eating chocolate.
Ferrero recalled Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs from British and Irish shelves on Monday in what it said was a precautionary move.
The Italian confectionary group said on Wednesday that no Kinder products released to the market had tested positive for salmonella.
Cases Among Children
The European Union agency did not mention Ferrero or any other company in its statement, but warned on Wednesday that the reported cases were mostly among children under 10 years old.
"The outbreak is characterised by an unusually high proportion of children being hospitalised, some with severe clinical symptoms such as bloody diarrhoea," the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said.
Highest Confirmed Cases
According to the ECDC, Britain has the highest number of incidents, with 63 confirmed cases as of 5 April, while other countries with probable or confirmed cases are France, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden and Norway.
Together with the European Food Safety Authority, the EU health agency said it was investigating 134 confirmed or probable cases of salmonella.
The agency said that product recalls have been launched in several countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg and Britain.
News by Reuters, edited by Donna Ahern, Checkout. For more supply chain stories, click here. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
