The US food giant Mars has recalled products in 55 countries several of its brands after a customer in Germany will find a piece of plastic in a chocolate bar, an error that stems from a factory in the Netherlands.
The multinational is concerned that there is a risk of suffocation, so he decided to voluntarily withdraw the products of Mars, Snickers, some of Milky Way and Mini Mix Celebrations brands with expiration dates covering the period from 19 June 2016 to January 8, 2017, Dutch agency ANP reported.
Consumers can return the products for a refund until next March 31.
The website of the company has fallen in several countries and the phone lines of customer service have reached saturation, according to Efe said an employee of the factory in Veghel, in the province of North Brabant.
Sweets affected were all manufactured according to ANP and a spokesman for the German headquarters of Mars in Viersen (East), in the Dutch plant Veghel.
The piece of plastic found by the customer measured about half a centimeter, the spokesman in Germany, adding that the "voluntary recall" of products of these brands responds to the responsibility of the consortium to their clients he said.
"We feared that could possibly be a risk of suffocation," said the consortium, who knowingly has included in its measure a long production period, in order to ensure that all products that could be affected are outside the market, he said.
Other products manufacturer, as M & M's and Twix Balisto is not affected, the company said.
The consortium, which has apologized to consumers, is now investigating how the piece of plastic to the bar of chocolate arrived, the spokesman said.
For now, Mars has been unable to give specific figures on the goods concerned, because at the moment is still analyzing what quantities have been exported and to where.
This is the first time Mars has to withdraw products from the Dutch factory, which is working closely with retailers to remove as soon as the chocolate shops affected.
According to the company in Germany, affected brand products Milky Way are limited to lines Milky Way Mini and Miniatures; in the case of Celebrations, various containers, such as chocolate box, tin metal and egg.
In the Netherlands, it has ordered the withdrawal of some 4 million products, and Mars Belgium has decided to take the Belgian and Luxembourg market thousands of chocolate.
According to the Belgian Agency, in Europe as well as Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and Germany, are affected by the recall France, the UK, Italy and Spain.
Mars has not acted on the orders of the authorities, but has the legal obligation to remove the affected products, meanwhile said a spokesman for the Ministry of Consumer Affairs of the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where the headquarters of Mars in Germany is . EFE