The hazelnut spread Nutella is not part of Ferrero's Kinder product recall over salmonella concerns, despite false rumors that are circulating on Facebook.
A Facebook user misleadingly posted: "Be wary over Easter as more and more Ferrero products popping up on my news feed [are] containing salmonella, bacteria, and maggots. [There's a] huge recall on all Ferrero products so some are still floating around in shops, just a heads up in case anyone hasn’t seen this yet."
Despite the claims in this post, there was not a "huge recall on all Ferrero products." While this user appeared to be located in the U.K., we previously reported that the chocolate and confectionery company announced a recall for only two product assortments in the U.S. It also recalled several other chocolates for other countries. Nutella was not part of any recall, whether for salmonella or anything else.
Ferrero's Kinder recall stemmed from a problem found in a plant in Arlon, Belgium. According to the company, the plant only accounts for "7% of total volumes of Kinder products manufactured globally on a yearly basis." The company said that a filter, the piece of equipment that caused the issue, has been replaced. They also said that authorities were conducting an investigation.
The recall for the two assortments in the U.S. was a precautionary measure due to a salmonella outbreak in Europe. Word of Ferrero issuing a recall so close to Easter led to frantic posts on Facebook that pushed false rumors about maggots and worms being found in the company's products, as well as a false rumor about Nutella and salmonella.
Some users appeared to believe that Nutella had been recalled and said they could see salmonella in their jars of the hazelnut spread. However, this was not true. As WebMD published, the bacteria known as salmonella are microscopic organisms that can't be seen, smelled, or tasted.
A spokesperson for Ferrero provided the following statement about the false rumors of a Nutella salmonella recall. They also provided an explanation for the photographs that went around on social media:
Nutella is not included in the recent recalls on Kinder products. The photos shared in the post look like granini, a term for sugar and oil congealing when the product undergoes temperature changes. Depending upon the temperature at which the product was stored, the oils and sugar can separate and then solidify giving the appearance of white spots throughout the spread.
Our previous reporting contains the full scoop on Ferrero's Kinder product recall, which again, does not include Nutella.