The Swiss company Barry Callebout, one of the largest companies in the production of chocolate products and of great prestige in the professional sector, has announced this Thursday that it has detected the presence of Salmonella in its factory in Wieze (Belgium), immediately stopping all production of it.
The firm, as announced in a press release, located through its internal controls a positive production batch for the bacteria on Monday, June 27. The factory’s food safety experts quickly identified lecithin as a source pollution, a basic ingredient in the production of chocolate and its derivatives. The Belgian authorities were informed at the same time that all production was stopped as a precautionary measure, also blocking all the products manufactured from the moment of the analyses.
The company ensures that most of the products that could have been affected by the bacteria are blocked within the Belgian factory itself, with a small amount distributed to their customers, whom they have already contacted so that these batches are returned.
According to the company, “food safety is paramount for Barry Callebaut and this is a very exceptional case”, and they will continue with the precise analysis to find the exact root of the contamination and assess the risks. In addition, once these controls are completed, all the lines are will clean and disinfect before resuming the production process.
The Barry Callebout Group, based in Zurich, born in 1996 with the union of the Belgian companies Callebout and the French company Cacao Barry, bringing together more than 150 years of experience in the production of chocolate. It is one of the specialized companies in the largest sector and with the greatest presence in the professional sector, covering all types of products, raw materials and elaborations.
About Salmonella
bacteria of the genus Salmonella produce salmonellosis, considered one of the most common and widespread foodborne diseases among the world population. In most countries of the European Union, the two types of Salmonella that appear most frequently are S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis.
Salmonellosis is characterized by sudden onset of fever, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, headache, myalgia and other systemic symptoms. Although they are usually relatively mild symptoms, in some cases it can have serious consequences and put the patient’s life at risk.
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