In a statement, it said the investigation was carried out jointly by the FASFC, the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for Salmonella, Belgium’s Agency for a Quality Life (AViQ) and the Common Community Commission (GGC) on Brussels.
No significant increase in the number of infections is expected, the statement added.
The FASFC has been conducting a thorough investigation at Ferrero Arlon to find the source of the contamination. It said all necessary measures to protect consumers have been taken. A recall of all Kinder products from the plant was issued in April and the plant’s authorisation to produce food products has been withdrawn.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control had previously reported confirmed cases of salmonella in Europe and the UK linked to the Ferrero factory in Arlon.
Ferrero said it has officially submitted a new authorisation request to the FASFC to restart production. If the conclusions of the FASFC’s assessment are favourable, a provisional authorisation will be granted.
As previously reported, Kinder chocolate products have been linked to Salmonella cases reported in 11 countries, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) alert. Most cases are in Europe, though one case has been reported in the United States. The outbreak has mostly affected children under 10 years old, and, as time of writing, no fatalities have been reported.