Spanish residents were asked to check their cabinets at the weekend as the country’s food safety agency Aesan issued two warnings regarding chocolate products and olive oil.

So, what is going on?

First, Aesan issued an alert about the processing, packaging, and clandestine distribution of oil labelled as “virgin olive” and “extra virgin olive” from Spain, which is in fact vegetable oil made from seeds or a mixture of grains.

The alert came after the agency received a notification from the health authorities of the Region of Murcia.

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You can find a list of the affected products here.

According to the available information, the initial distribution of the products has been mainly in the region of Murcia. However, it has also been distributed to Catalonia, the Basque Country and the Valencian Community.

Authorities haven’t ruled out the possibility that the oil has been distributed to other regions.

As a precautionary measure, Aesan recommends that people who have bought the suspect products refrain from consuming them and return them to the points of sale.

The Ferrero chocolate recall

A broader issue that has also affected other European countries just ahead of Easter is the announcement by chocolate manufacturer Ferrero that it is recalling several types of sweets due to the identification of cases of salmonella, including in children.

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The company issues the recall for chocolates in its Kinder brand including Schokobons, Kinder Überraschung, Kinder Mini Eggs, Kinder Mix, and Kinder Maxi Mix, which are all in the list of products recalled. You can see a complete list here.

An cluster of salmonella cases sounded the alarm bells at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Early this week, 134 cases had been reported, mainly among children under 10 years of age.

The authorities tracked the origin of the infections to “specific chocolate products.”

Ferrero, the Italian chocolate producer that owns brands like Nutella, Kinder, and Ferrero Rocher, said it has identified a genotype match between reported salmonella cases in Europe and its plant in Arlon, Belgium. Production in that factory has since been shut down.

The company identified a filter in a raw material tank at the factory as being culpable and is currently investigating the case.

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“Ferrero took actions, including the removal of the filter, and significantly increased the already high level of controls on semi-finished and finished products”, the manufacturer stated.

Consumers should avoid any of the products mentioned and can return them at any point of sale, according to the food safety authorities.