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Easter reminder: Kinder Eggs banned in the United States
Not all eggs are created equal in the eyes of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Kinder Eggs, a popular European chocolate egg that contains a toy inside, is banned from importation into the United States because it contains a "non-nutritive object embedded in it."
With the Easter holiday around the corner, the agency issued the reminder this week, warning that the candy is considered unsafe for children under 3. Last year, Customs and Border Protection seized 25,000 of them in 1,700 incidents.
The hollow egg, which is sold by the Italian confectioner Ferrero, is available in Europe, Canada, Australia and parts of Latin America under various names including Kinder Surprise and Kinder Sorpresa. It has taken on a cult status among adults who collect the toys, which vary from rings to animals and cartoon characters.
Kinder Eggs' scarcity in the United States has made them an object of desire: Various websites and online forums are dedicated to acquiring them.
Some are apparently hiding in plain sight. Earlier this week, DNAinfo.com, a New York City neighborhood guide, posted a story and slideshow showing stores where the coveted treats can be found.
"While there are some commercial-sized seizures that occur, most Kinder Eggs are seized in personal baggage or at mail and express consignment facilities," Customs and Border Protection said.
A Canadian woman reportedly learned her lesson the hard way.
The woman was selected for a random search at a border checkpoint in Minnesota when officials discovered she was carrying a Kinder Egg and took it from her, The Toronto Star reported.
A few weeks later, she received a 7-page letter asking if she wanted the egg back or if she was going to abandon rights to it, the Star reported.
"I was in disbelief," she told the newspaper. "It's a $2 egg."
Yes folks, your tax dollar hard at work.
thank goodness we have obama to protect us from these dangerous candies.
Nooooooooooooooo....not candy eggs! Run, run for your lives!!! Oh, look I found some crack in mine.
So true! Millions of people walking across the borders and these clowns are powerless to stop them. One person with a chocolate egg though and Homeland Security wants to take a bow for defending the nation. We truly live in the Bizarro States of Amerika.
To Grace: The law banning products like Kinder Eggs has been on the books since 1938 and the recall of them was in 1997. Stupid yes, but not as stupid as trying to blame the ban on the President because you don't like him. Yes, Grace, that is what the President himself sits and decides. Sorry to burst your big fat conservative bubble.
I just bought a large grocery store here in Manhattan. Those eggs are everywhere. What are you talking about !?
If they spent half the effort searching for drugs as they do Kinder eggs, maybe they could get somewhere in the drug war. Personally I carried, had relatives carry or shipped hundreds of Kinder Eggs over the years into the United States. Now while I was aware of the rules against the commercial sale of them in the United States, I had no idea they could confiscate them at the border. I thought so long as it was personal consumption, they were allowed. I guess I'm a Kinder Egg outlaw.
Thanks for chiming in, Grace. Thanks for making sure everyone remembers the Teapublican Talking Points.
1. Whaahh!
2. B-b-but OBAMA!
3. WhaAHH!!
4. NO!!
5. WHAAAHHH! NO! B-B-BUT OBAAAAMA!
I live in Germany and there are NOTHING wrong with this candy.... AND, it has nothing to do with Obama ....Grace my darling.....but the Idiot Nanny states that feel they will lose money on their own products.. have you ever heard of someone dying from a kinder chocolate???? No...So where is the problem?? They are delicious and fun...Even for adults.. I brought some back recently and my PARENTS love em'. I think I will stay in Europe from now on seeing how LAME the people have become over here... I mean it. Or maybe they are simply scared the people here will grow even FATTER!!!!!!! eat it up America.. Get your hands on it and have fun!!!!
Grace, you are indeed an idiot and probably didn't read the article. But great job trying to make stuff up, now go back to Fox and watch more made up stuff.
If it was your kid that choked on the toy inside, you'd be screaming for retribution.
I can't think of a more dangerous item manufactured overseas that requires our nation's vigilance. How fortunate we are to have U.S. Customs looking out for our well being in the event that one of us inadvertently swallows the toy inside the egg.
shampoobrain, get a new tune, because this one is getting old. You really need to do some research into the reason for the formation of the FDA and USDA before you comment anymnore, liberal nutcase. I'll bet you're all for the government telling you when to go to the loo, too.
So Toys inside chocolate should be stopped at the border. But genetically modified foods and radiated food is fine. The public will never know, unless there's a physical toy inside.
I grew up with these things and I did never swallow one of the toys. The toys are in another big plastic capsule inside the chocolate egg. There where also never a report in European news that a kid did swallow one of the toys. Now living in the US we get some packages from Europe sometimes with some of those eggs in it. They are confiscated and boarder control also never leaves you a message that they removed something from your package. I would consider this theft and inviolability of the mail. In regards to swallow the toy inside – maybe American kids are more stupid as European kids.
To Shampoohorn: The legislature passes the law, but the enforcement is up to the executive branch.
My company [GermanDeli dot com] was singled out in 2008/2009 and I (company president) was threatened with Federal imprisonment and an astronomical fine unless we quit selling them. However the law is unevenly enforced, so you can still find them for sale even though they are "banned".
Seven children around the world have died from choking on small plastic parts in Kinder eggs since 1989. Three in England.
That's the US. Many laws, many of them non-sensical....created in a knee jerk reaction to someone, usually of low iq, getting hurt. We all pay the consequences. Say what you will about other cultures, but they accept the fact that allowing common sense to reign, even though a few may get hurt, is more than worth it for the enjoyment of the masses...no eggs, but feel free to go to wal-mart and buy a gun.
Where is the LIKE button here :)...
This egg is why Americans are obese!! It should be banned, or maybe just ban the people who don't read that a toy is inside.
Liberals at work with YOUR tax money. This kind of Garbage is what gets liberal democrats elected and you wonder why nothing gets done.
Well, let's think about it...who is trying to make sure you have access to guns? Is there a foreign chocolate egg lobby?
@Joe: HUH?
Yeah, Joe. Those wasteful libruls! It's a good thing they weren't in charge of banning drugs, because you guys sure won that one overnight and under budget.
I have lived in a number of countries and people like you have convinced the world we are monsters. I assure you we are not perfect but I doubt you know anything about other cultures. If you did you would shut up or, being what you are, you would start unjustly attacking them.
gc3 – Like, Like, Like, Like
"Someone of low IQ"? Look no farther than the nearest mirror. The people in question here are small children.
'Joe – Liberals at work with YOUR tax money. This kind of Garbage is what gets liberal democrats elected and you wonder why nothing gets done.'
What the heck has this got to do with liberals? They have technically been illegal under a 1938 law and were 'officially' recalled and banned in 1997.
Joe- Indeed, electing conservatives creates 8-10 year wars and tax cuts, but electing liberals bans easter eggs!!! :O Its really a tough choice 🙂
First, oh moronic ones, those eggs HAVE BEEN BANNED SINCE THE 1980's WHEN THE BAN WAS ENFORCED. So much for the "elected" nonsense. In short, this isn't news, it's olds.
Bazoing, I've been in many countries for extended periods, secondary to my military career.
I've NEVER found ANY person in a foreign land considering US citizens monsters!
Idiots, yes, intolerant, yes, rude and obnoxious, yes.
Monsters, no.
They tend to be shocked by an American that is able to think, is polite, is tolerant and wants to learn about their culture and especially the food. 🙂
I grew up eating these Chocolate Eggs and loved the toy inside it. My son loves it too, unfortunately, we dont get them here any more. I am glad Canada is not that far away (8 hour from where I am )
You evil, evil smuggler! Shoot some down my way! 😉
My back hurts too much to drive up to Canada, these days. 🙁
contains a "non-nutritive object embedded in it." Could describe Hostess Twinkies, too.
This is hilarious. Americans inhale their snackfood so quickly they have to ban this because they'd just eat the toy inside along with the chocolate egg.
Funny (I'm speechless) !!!!!!
Indeed – especially considering how damn difficult it can be to get those silly little yellow containers holding the toys open!!!
I bet even if you ate the toy it is still better for you than our American garbage.
From Family Guy- Peter Griffin: "Todd, man, you've gotta chew your food."
Astonishing! Will the idiocy of CNN NEVER end? I cannot even say the name of a brand of caramel covered popcorn and peanuts candy with a toy inside!
It'll be banned next week, right?
Oops, it's domestic, nevermind...
Ah, USA tax dollars hard at work. Those boarder patrol clowns need to get a real job.
Makes ya wonder what they did with all the eggs they confiscated last year.
Yeah, maybe they can go back and become teachers. That way, dumba$$es like you would learn how to spell Border correctly.
So, they now patrol people who rent a room? That IS a waste of tax dollars, ultramaroon!
so because children under three shouldnt have them NO ONE can have one?
Yeah, it's so silly. Are we going to ban cherries for adults because they have pits which a three year old might choke on?
brian... BRILLIANT! hahahah
KINDER HIPPOS Yuuuuummmmm
Kinder Hippos are beyond yummy. I agree, Steph!! 🙂
Darn–I LOVE the Kinder Eggs. So, will all food with inedible parts be banned. Like olives?!
What other foods have non-nutritive objects embedded in them? Lollipops, Shiskabas, ice cream on a stick, pearl oysters, BBQ ribs, corn dogs, corn on the cob, any fruit with inedible seeds like cherries, apples, and peaches.
Hell, the custom agents themselves are edible with an inedible center. Maybe they should be kicked out of the country.
Too funny! LOL
Best comment of the night!!! Think I'll have a customs agent for dinner tonight...
LOL! That is a hilarious comment and yet so true!
How about fortune cookies? Chinese restaurants better watch out, US Customs may come and get them...
Brilliant, Brian. Brilliant! 🙂
Uhh don't let your child eat the toy! Cerel has a toy inside of most boxes! A sucker has a stick in it! Wait shouldn't it be up to the parents? NOPE! Justifes my point on the artical about the "Dressing girls like tramps" It starts with decision making by the corps and our government! If we can ban chocolate eggs then we can ban cloths that make our kids look like tramps.
Hey Everyone, Big Government has changed its name to EMERSE. Who would keep us safe from ourselves if not for you EMERSE. We owe you soooooo much!
I wonder what they think about king cakes from New Orleans? Surely a small plastic baby is also "non-nutrative". Obviously US Customs isn't involved in a domestic product like that, but it still just seems really silly. And Kinder eggs are relatively large, it's not like you can pop an entire one into your mouth with the prize still in it!
What ever happened to parental responsibility making sure that no young children eat this candy on their own?
I am so tired of my laws protecting me from watching the gene pool get cleaned out every now and then.
translation: americans are either too litigenous, too stupid, or both to handle anything that can be eaten and swallowed that can be combined in the same package.....clearly there are millions dying of kinder egg suffocation all around the world!
No, just in the US.
SOOO stupid! I grew up with these....such a treat! Wal-mart has a knock-off version this year....how's that so? Hmmm....