World’s biggest chocolate plant in Belgium shut after salmonella outbreak
- Production halted at Swiss giant Barry Callebaut’s Wieze factory that supplies chocolate products to many companies, including Hershey and Nestle
- Belgium’s food safety agency AFSCA had opened an investigation
Salmonella bacteria have been discovered in the world’s biggest chocolate plant, run by Swiss giant Barry Callebaut in the Belgian town of Wieze, the firm said on Thursday.
A company spokesman said that production had been halted at the factory, which produces liquid chocolate in wholesale batches for 73 clients making confectioneries.
“All products manufactured since the test have been blocked,” spokesman Korneel Warlop said.
“Barry Callebaut is currently contacting all customers who may have received contaminated products. Chocolate production in Wieze remains suspended until further notice.”
Most of the products discovered to be contaminated are still on the site, he said.
But the firm has contacted all its clients and asked them not to ship any products they have made with chocolate made since June 25 at the Wieze plant, which is in Flanders, northwest of Brussels.