Easter reminder: Kinder Eggs banned in the United States
April 21st, 2011
08:01 PM ET

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."

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Filed under: Food • Holidays • U.S.
soundoff (690 Responses)
  1. gedwards

    "because it contains a "non-nutritive object embedded in it.""
    ========================
    Dang. So ALL suckers and lollipops are illegal to bring into the country as well?

    The death of common sense.

    April 22, 2011 at 5:26 am | Report abuse |
  2. Light Yagami

    Hey Americans how does it feel to have your freedoms stripped and your country's soul being ripped apart by greedy corporations?

    April 22, 2011 at 5:35 am | Report abuse |
    • gedwards

      How is a greedy corporations behind this?

      April 22, 2011 at 5:38 am | Report abuse |
    • Lisa

      I wouldn't doubt lobbyists for Hershey, Mars etc. are behind this.

      April 22, 2011 at 7:24 am | Report abuse |
  3. Softship

    Amazing, isn't it? As popular as the Kinder Eggs are in Europe, and considering how "dangerous" they are, you'd think all European kids would have died by now.
    Or are European kids (or their parents) just a lot smarter than their counterparts in the USA?

    April 22, 2011 at 5:38 am | Report abuse |
    • Conner

      I know, right? Or EVERY other country on the planet, most of which also sell these awesome eggs...

      April 22, 2011 at 6:06 am | Report abuse |
    • Se

      Well... this chocolate toy is obviously not made for American kids. They can't differentiate food from toys. they'll eat practically ANYTHING, hence the McDonald's Kids meal

      April 22, 2011 at 6:15 am | Report abuse |
  4. Ruebens TheMonkey

    The Land of the Free....

    April 22, 2011 at 5:43 am | Report abuse |
  5. SpanglishHoosier

    Hey everyone, in case you didn't catch it....GermanDeli was president of a company that faced federal imprisonment and a fine exceeding $2M for selling these things.

    April 22, 2011 at 5:50 am | Report abuse |
  6. Jason

    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."

    I'm waiting for them to ban mangoes, avocados, spare ribs, whole turkeys...

    April 22, 2011 at 5:53 am | Report abuse |
  7. Karim Mutawassit

    My 5 year old nephew tryed to swallow the yellow egg within the chocolate egg. That wasn't intelligent, but he was only 5.

    April 22, 2011 at 5:55 am | Report abuse |
    • bump39

      The rest of the world has then and I think they are doing just fine. Perhaps keep an eye on the child. What 5 year old hasn't been taught to not place foreign objects in their mouths. If you don't want your child to choke don't gibe them the toy, but don't make it illegal for me to give my child the toy.

      April 22, 2011 at 6:19 am | Report abuse |
    • gedwards

      Perhaps his parents should have told him that there was a capsule inside containing a toy, and that only the chocolate was to be eaten. Did he try to eat the fortune in fortune cookies too?

      April 22, 2011 at 7:58 am | Report abuse |
  8. Paul

    Will we be banning King Cakes at Mardi Gras?
    They have a non-nutritive plastic baby Jesus baked into them.
    How about all the non-nutritive crap added to our food?
    There are times our gov't should just use some sense.....lots of times actually.
    C'mon, give it a try. Just use some sense one time!

    April 22, 2011 at 5:59 am | Report abuse |
  9. Conner

    Some of the toys have small parts, but they are inside a plastic egg, which is surrounded by chocolate, and as someone said earlier, those eggs aren't easy to get open (a 2-3 year probably can't open it). I agree that the ban is really stupid and an excellent way to increase our debt even more. The problem isn't really the actual choking hazard people put on it, but some greedy moron and a money hungry lawyer out to sue someone else to get some easy money. I'll repeat what Agent "K" from Men In Black said, "People are dumb, panicky animals."

    April 22, 2011 at 6:01 am | Report abuse |
  10. Katie

    WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT!!! We can stop eggs from getting in this country but we can't stop the drugs and illegal people??? Really, this is ridiculous...

    April 22, 2011 at 6:03 am | Report abuse |
    • Se

      Well... this chocolate toy is obviously not made for American kids. They can't differentiate food from toys. they'll eat practically ANYTHING, hence the McDonald's Kids meal.

      April 22, 2011 at 6:11 am | Report abuse |
  11. Jay

    Oh you Americans and your silly laws. So much for the land of the "free".

    April 22, 2011 at 6:05 am | Report abuse |
  12. kate

    There is no way that a child can swallow the toy inside, particularly since it comes in it's own plastic "egg".
    Whoever came up with this law never had Kinder Egg's as a kid.

    April 22, 2011 at 6:06 am | Report abuse |
  13. ImAlwaysRIight

    Just another example of America's decline....we, in Canada have been enjoying these tasty morsals for 30 years. So far, children aren't dropping like flies.....ah, the sweetness of true liberty and freedom.

    Happy Easter American friends...really.

    April 22, 2011 at 6:06 am | Report abuse |
  14. Natch

    WE are not allowing this into the country, because WE know better than you. WE are the nannies you hired to take care of you, and WE will tell you what is good for you, and what is not!!

    Welcome to the world according to Washington DC.

    April 22, 2011 at 6:09 am | Report abuse |
  15. Red White & Blue

    In the USA its OK to give your kid a Smith & Wesson, but candy with a toy inside is considered too dangerous?

    April 22, 2011 at 6:10 am | Report abuse |
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