The Swiss group “Barry Callebaut”, the world’s first in the manufacture of cocoa and chocolate products, announced the temporary closure of its factory in Belgium after the discovery of salmonella in a batch of its products.
“Food safety is of paramount importance to us, and we have notified the Belgian food authorities of the incident,” the company said in a statement, Thursday.
She added: “We train our staff to ensure food safety, and this has allowed us to quickly identify risks and successfully begin a root cause analysis.”
The company confirmed that it had taken several precautionary measures, including withdrawing all manufactured products since the time of the test, adding: “Production will remain suspended until further notice.”
The company confirmed that it will maintain contact with the Belgian food authorities, and the lines will be cleaned and disinfected before resuming the production process.
The factory is located about 30 kilometers northwest of Brussels.