The group’s announcement was confirmed to AFP on Friday by a spokeswoman for the Belgian Food Chain Safety Agency (Afsca).
“All the results of the analyzes of raw materials and finished products were compliant and the inspection missions went well,” spokeswoman Aline Van den Broeck said. The final authorization was given on Thursday, according to her.
The Italian giant’s Arlon factory, known worldwide for its Nutella and Kinder brands, received authorization in mid-June to restart production under certain conditions, although it had been closed since April 8 after the scandal broke.
Afsca wanted to be able to carry out regular analyzes of the ingredients used and the finished products before they are put on the market.
Improved quality and testing protocols
For three months, Ferrero said on Friday, “the group has been working under the supervision of Afsca using improved testing and quality protocols.”
“The granting of the production license means that everything is ready for the Arlon factory to produce with confidence,” he added in a press release.
Afsca specifies, however, that over the next year the factory will be “more closely monitored”, with more frequent unannounced checks than the standard requires for chocolatiers.
At the beginning of April, with the proximity of the Easter holidays, the group had withdrawn from the market all the products manufactured in this important site, after the report of dozens of cases of salmonellosis possibly linked to the consumption of its chocolate products in several countries’. Europe.
Judicial investigations have been opened in both Belgium and France to determine possible criminal responsibilities.
In a tally dating to July 15, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) listed 399 confirmed and two probable cases of monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium in EU countries and Britain. No deaths have been reported.
Source: BFM TV
