German politicians have been accused of robbing youngsters of one of the small joys of childhood after announcing plans to ban Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs on the grounds that they are a safety hazard.
The “Kinder commission” (children’s committee) of the German parliament, which is responsible for introducing legislation, fears children might mistake the toys contained in the eggs for food and swallow them. Critics have also said that mixing toys and food is not helpful when trying to teach children the value of good nutrition.
“Children can’t differentiate between toys and nutritional items,” said Miriam Gruss, a member of the commission. “It is a sad fact, but that means that Kinder Surprise eggs have to go.”
Cornflakes and other products that contain toys are also on the blacklist.
The company Ferrero, which produces Kinder Surprise eggs for Germany, responded angrily to the announcement, saying its product had undergone many safety tests since first coming on to the German market in 1974.
“There is absolutely no evidence that the Kinder Surprise eggs as a combination of toy and foodstuff are dangerous,” said Elise Glaab, the company’s spokeswoman. “The Kinder Surprise toy is separated from the chocolate by a plastic capsule.”
The commission did not provide any statistics to back up safety fears.
The egg — known in Germany as Uberraschungs Ei or “U-Ei” — contains a yellow capsule housing a small toy and is loved by children across Europe, but nowhere more so than in Germany.
Bild newspaper said the ruling would “come as a shock to millions of children” and on Thursday collectors of the Kinder Surprise toys found in the eggs rallied on Web sites. On the most prominent Kinder Surprise collectors’ forum, Eierlei.de, bloggers accused the government of “beheading” their favorite sweet.
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