ZAGREB, Jan 3 (Hina) - The Salmonella Centre at the Croatian Public Health Institute (HZJZ) on Thursday confirmed some of "Merci" branded chocolates contained salmonella and did not meet health regulations, the health ministry said in
a statement Thursday. After the Storck-group, producer of "Merci" chocolates, on its Internet pages on December 22, 2001 informed the public that some of their products contained salmonella, the Croatian Health Ministry as a precaution subjected all their chocolates to testing. Some samples tested positive, and some negative to salmonella, and the ministry decided to take all suspicious "Merci" chocolates with expiry dates in April and May 2002, off the market on December 29, 2002, the sanitary inspection head at the health ministry, Zeljko Slemesek, told Hina. Samples analysed during import were good and the sanitary inspection did not withdraw any aforeme
ZAGREB, Jan 3 (Hina) - The Salmonella Centre at the Croatian Public
Health Institute (HZJZ) on Thursday confirmed some of "Merci"
branded chocolates contained salmonella and did not meet health
regulations, the health ministry said in a statement Thursday.
After the Storck-group, producer of "Merci" chocolates, on its
Internet pages on December 22, 2001 informed the public that some of
their products contained salmonella, the Croatian Health Ministry
as a precaution subjected all their chocolates to testing.
Some samples tested positive, and some negative to salmonella, and
the ministry decided to take all suspicious "Merci" chocolates with
expiry dates in April and May 2002, off the market on December 29,
2002, the sanitary inspection head at the health ministry, Zeljko
Slemesek, told Hina.
Samples analysed during import were good and the sanitary
inspection did not withdraw any aforementioned chocolates from the
market, Slemesek added.
Since HZJZ confirmed today some chocolates were infected with
salmonella, salespeople have to return all chocolates to the
importer, the "Dupin" company, and present the sanitary inspection
with a delivery confirmation. "Dupin" will have to destroy all
salmonella-infected chocolates at its expense and in agreement
with the sanitary inspection, Slemesek added.
Even though a series of chocolates at issue had been distributed in
150 stores throughout Croatia, not one case of poisoning has been
reported so far, Slemesek said. He added a high percentage of sugar
in chocolates does not set a good breeding ground for salmonella,
but it can, however, cause discomfort such as high temperature,
stomach aches, nausea and diarrhoea.
(hina) np