Swiss chocolatier Barry Callebaut halted production at its factory in Wieze, Belgium, on Monday, the company said in a statement Thursday.
The Wieze factory is the largest chocolate factory in the world, according to government tourism website Visit Flanders.
“For Barry Callebaut, food safety is paramount. Our robust food safety programs in place allow us to quickly identify lecithin as a source of contamination,” the company said. knew in the statement and added that the Belgian food agency (FAVV) had been informed of the incident. .
Lecithin is a fat used to bind other ingredients in chocolate.
The company said it has taken precautions, including recalling all products it has produced since the time of testing. Production in Wieze will remain suspended until further notice.
“We are currently reaching out to all customers who may have received affected products,” the statement said.
In a statement Friday, Barry Callebaut said no tainted chocolate “entered the retail food chain.”
The company, which has sales of nearly $8 billion in the 2020-21 financial year, produces chocolate for other chocolate makers, including small chocolatiers and major brands, though they declined to provide customer names when asked by CNN Business.
“Barry Callebaut will now take the time to continue the root cause analysis very hard – keeping the FAVV informed in the process. Once that’s done, the lines will be cleaned and disinfected before moving on. manufacturing process,” the company said.
– Anna Cooban contributed reporting.
