Swiss chocolate producer Barry Callebaut paused manufacturing at its plant in Wieze, Belgium, on Monday, the corporate mentioned in a press release Thursday.
The Wieze plant is the most important chocolate manufacturing unit on the earth, in keeping with authorities tourism web site Visit Flanders.
“For Barry Callebaut meals security is paramount. Our sturdy meals security packages in place allowed us to rapidly determine lecithin because the supply of the contamination,” the corporate mentioned within the assertion, including that Belgian meals authorities (FAVV) had been knowledgeable of the incident.
Lecithin is a fatty substance used to bind collectively different components within the chocolate.
The firm mentioned it has taken precautionary measures, together with recalling all merchandise manufactured because the time of testing. Production in Wieze will stay suspended till additional discover.
“We are at present reaching out to all prospects who could have acquired impacted merchandise,” the assertion mentioned.
In a press release Friday, Barry Callebaut mentioned no contaminated chocolate had “entered the retail meals chain.”
The firm, which made virtually $8 billion in gross sales over the 2020-21 monetary yr, produces chocolate for different chocolate makers, together with small chocolatiers and big-name manufacturers, although it declined to offer its prospects names when requested by CNN Business.
“Barry Callebaut will now take the time to proceed with the very diligent root trigger evaluation — holding the FAVV knowledgeable within the course of. When that’s accomplished the strains shall be cleaned and disinfected earlier than resuming the manufacturing course of,” the corporate mentioned.
— Anna Cooban contributed reporting.