Girl was left 'dead behind the eyes' after suffering food poisoning

Girl, three, was left ‘dead behind the eyes’ after ‘suffering severe food poisoning from Kinder Surprise chocolate egg’ linked to salmonella contamination at Belgium factory

• Three-year-old was left looking ‘dead behind the eyes’ due to salmonella
• Mother said it was caused by Kinder chocolate egg eaten just days earlier
• Ferrero recalled products and the UK watchdog urged Britons not to eat them

A girl was left looking ‘dead behind the eyes’ after contracting salmonella from a Kinder Surprise chocolate egg, her mother claims.

Charlotte Wingfield, thought to be from Dorset, said her daughter Brooklyn-Mai, three, had never been ‘so poorly’ in her life after the suspected food poisoning last week. 

The mother assumed her little girl had caught a tummy bug when her temperature shot to 39C and she struggled to stay awake for days. 

In a Facebook post that has been shared hundreds of times, Ms Wingfield claims it has since been ‘confirmed she has salmonella from the Kinder chocolate she ate’. 

Confectionary giant Ferrero last week recalled eight of its Kinder chocolate products — including Surprise eggs — after they were linked to salmonella contamination at a factory in Belgium.

Ms Wingfield said her ‘usually fiery, adventurous and very active baby girl’ was left ‘so lifeless’ after being struck down last Monday.

‘It’s been absolutely heartbreaking to see my usually fiery, adventurous and very active baby girl be the complete opposite of everything she usually is,’ she said.

She urged others who had the treats at home to throw them out.

A Ferrero spokesperson said the company is ‘very sorry to hear about Brooklyn-Mai’ and its ‘sincere thoughts are with her and her family at the time’. 

Charlotte Wingfield said her daughter Brooklyn-Mai (pictured) was ‘so poorly’ last week and she assumed the toddler was suffering from a viral bug. But she just days later it was ‘confirmed she has salmonella from the Kinder chocolate she ate’, Ms Wingfield said

Ms Wingfield (pictured with her daughter Brooklyn-Mai) said her daughter was left ‘completely dead behind the eyes and so lifeless’. ‘It’s been absolutely heartbreaking to see my usually fiery, adventurous and very active baby girl be the complete opposite of everything she usually is,’ she said

Ms Wingfield took to Facebook to reveal the news in a post which has been shared more than 500 times.

The parent had just recovered from a stomach bug and assumed her daughter had been struck down with the same illness. 

WHAT KINDER PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN RECALLED? 

Kinder voluntarily recalled a selection of its products, which were manufactured in Belgium, in response to dozens of reported salmonella cases.

• Kinder Surprise 20g 
• Kinder Surprise 20g x 3 multipacks-
• Kinder Surprise 100g
• Kinder Mini eggs 75g
• Kinder Egg Hunt Kit 150g
• Kinder Schokobons 70g
• Kinder Schokobons 200g
• Kinder Schokobons 320g

The Food Standards Agency said anyone who has bought these products should not eat them.

Instead, Britons should contact Ferrero consumer careline to obtain a full refund.

She became more concerned when Brooklyn-Mai slept for ’21 out of the following 24 hours and then kept falling asleep as she was doing things’. 

Ms Wingfield said: ‘I knew something wasn’t right and spoke to the GP who ran through a list of what it could be alongside a hospital visit.

‘I came away thinking she had a viral bug. 

‘Fast forward three days and it’s been confirmed she has salmonella from the Kinder chocolate she ate on Sunday.’ 

Brooklyn-Mai has been ill ‘a couple of times but this has been something else’, Ms Wingfield said.

The toddler slept for all but 12 hours over four days last week, Ms Wingfield added.

‘She’s been completely dead behind the eyes and so lifeless.’ 

Brooklyn-Mai started to feel better on Thursday, becoming ‘aware of her surroundings again and has been able to play for the first time in days’. 

Her mother said: ‘Anyone with little ones who eat Kinder chocolate products, especially the surprise eggs and have products with their best before dates between July 11 2022 and October 7 2022, please please throw them!’ 

The problems with some Kinder products were revealed last Wednesday by the Food Standards Agency, which warned the public to dispose of a series of Kinder products, including Kinder Surprise 20g eggs and Kinder Mini eggs. 

Ms Wingfield added: ‘She’s (Brooklyn-Mai, pictured) been completely dead behind the eyes and so lifeless, it’s been absolutely heartbreaking to see my usually fiery, adventurous and very active baby girl be the complete opposite of everything she usually is.’

A UK-wide investigation found a link between reported salmonella cases and products made by Kinder’s parent company Ferrero. But by Friday, the British food watchdog warned consumers not to eat a series of Kinder products, regardless of their best before date

A UK-wide investigation found a link between reported salmonella cases and products made by Kinder’s parent company Ferrero.

But by Friday, the British food watchdog warned consumers not to eat a series of Kinder products, regardless of their best before date, and contact Ferrero consumer careline to obtain a refund.

The products affected Kinder products are its Surprise eggs, three-packs of the chocolate eggs, mini eggs, egg hunt box and schokobons. 

And Belgium’s food regulator, AFSCA, on Saturday ordered the factory in Arlon to close after the company was unable to provide documents needed for its separate investigation. 

It said the factory can only open if it can provide it complied with food safety rules. 

A Ferrero spokesperson said: ‘We are very sorry to hear about Brooklyn-Mai and our sincere thoughts are with her and her family at this time. We deeply regret this matter. 

‘We continue to work closely with the food safety authorities to support their investigations. 

‘Food safety, quality and consumer care have been at the heart of Ferrero since the company was founded. 

‘We are taking every step necessary to preserve the full trust and confidence of our consumers.’

Salmonella — food poisoning caused by salmonella bacteria — is rarely serious and usually gets better within a week.

It is caused by eating something that has been contaminated with germs, such as food that is not cooked or stored properly, is left out too long or handled by someone who is ill or has not washed their hands.

Symptoms usually include feeling sick, diarrhoea, being sick, stomach cramps, a fever and feeling generally unwell. 

Signs of the illness usually start anytime from a few hours to a few weeks after eating the food that caused the infection.

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