KINDER eggs may be enjoyed by many nowadays, as they are still available in the store. But beware! Kinder Joy with a toy inside it is not always a safe buy, as some cases have come in the last few years about many kids swallowing the toy inside the box. Many have also argued about the ingredients in this egg-shaped chocolate box, which might not be a reason why Kinder Joy is banned in several regions.
Why did Kinder Joy get banned in some countries? Let’s find out.
Introduction: What Kinder Joy Is?
Kinder Surprise or Kinder Joy is an Italian chocolate product that comes in the form of a small egg. It’s one of several products under the “Kinder” brand and was created by Ferrero. “Ferrero, Inc.” was founded in 1974 and released their Kinder brand product, Kinder Surprise.
Those that purchase the Kinder Joy egg-shaped package will be given two halves. The milk and cocoa mix is on the other side of the toy and spoon, and it has been a popular snack in Italy and many other countries since its release back in 2001.
A Kinder Surprise is also called a Kinder Egg and was originally designed for children. There are still troubles with this type of chocolate in some regions, primarily due to the toy inside and how it varies depending on where you live.
Why is Kinder Joy banned in the USA?
Kinder Joy is a chocolate egg that contains a toy for children. The egg is made of plastic and wrapped in colorful foil that resembles a chocolate egg. The toy is usually already assembled so that it can be directly played with. Kinder Joy is a famous chocolate egg in Europe but is banned in the USA.
The main reason Kinder Joy is banned in the USA is because of the toys inside the chocolate egg. The toys are thought to be a choking hazard for small children. The toys have also been found to come off the plastic egg easily and have sharp edges that can be dangerous.
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is concerned that the toy may pose a choking hazard or that children might mistake the toy for candy. In addition, it is illegal to sell Kinder Joy in the US because of an FDA regulation that bans the marketing of any “non-nutritive component” in a food product.
Nonetheless, Kinder reminds you on the packaging that they are not suitable for young children as they can swallow a part (toy) of the chocolate.
So far, the US’s neighbors to the north and south, Canada and Mexico, respectively, have green lit Kinder Joy eggs in their markets. However, Ferrero started selling these eggs on US shelves in 2018 and put a toy separately in the same packaging.
Is Kinder Joy Banned in Countries Other Than the US?
UK
It’s been said that many children have died in the EU from choking on toys included as an ingredient in such edible egg chocolates. In response to the recent controversy over edible eggs being used as an ingredient in chocolate eggs, many parents are now calling for a ban on such products. There have been 10 deaths worldwide, with more than half of them occurring in the European Union. Yet another case was reported, but it’s been attributed to different manufacturers.
The company’s press release on the matter stated, “It is regrettable that these fatalities have occurred.” The House of Commons has come out with their own statement and said, “This was a tragic case in which an egg caused the fatality.”
Chile
A law passed in Chile in 2013 states that companies can’t provide “treatings” or “sweeteners” (like gifts or samples) to kids, as they might buy additional products. In other words, offering gifts with a product to kids was prohibited as it can influence the purchasing decision. Since Kinder Surprise offers a surprise toy in Kinder Egg, the product is banned in the country.
This new Food Labeling Law went into effect in 2016 and has required food manufacturers to list the warning labels of any product containing a high number of calories, sodium, fats, and sugar.
Final words
There are many small, consumable products on the market. However, this means that banning them all would severely reduce one’s choice of products to buy. Another issue is that many children already know what it is like to put such chocolates in their mouths, so we can just provide them with more education and supervision.