Kinder Surprise facts for kids
.png){kind=logo} |
|
 |
|
| Owner | Ferrero SpA |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 17 February 1974 |
Kinder Surprise, also known as Kinder Egg, is a popular treat from Italy. It's a yummy milk chocolate egg. Inside, you'll find a yellow plastic capsule. This capsule holds a small surprise toy!
The Italian company Ferrero has made Kinder Surprise since 1974. It was created by Michele Ferrero and William Salice. Kinder Surprise was first made for children. It was inspired by an Italian Easter tradition. During Easter, adults give children big chocolate eggs with toys inside. But now, many adults also love collecting the toys from Kinder Surprise eggs. Since 1974, over 30 billion Kinder Surprise eggs have been sold worldwide.
Contents
What is a Kinder Surprise Egg?
A Kinder Surprise egg is made of delicious milk chocolate. The inside of the chocolate egg has a sweet, milk-flavored cream layer. Hidden inside the egg is a plastic capsule. This capsule is usually yellow, like an egg's yolk. It holds a small toy, which sometimes you need to put together.
Each egg comes in foil wrapping. This wrapping has important warning labels. These labels tell parents that the eggs are not for children under three years old. They also suggest that adults watch children while they eat the egg.
Kinder Surprise eggs were first made to bring a little daily surprise to children. This idea came from a special Italian Easter custom. In Italy, families often give children large chocolate eggs with toys inside for Easter. Over time, the toys inside Kinder Surprise eggs became very popular with collectors. Many people try to collect all the toys from a specific set. Some even share videos of themselves opening the eggs online. More than 100 new toys are released every year. By 2016, about 12,000 different toys had been put into Kinder Surprise eggs.
Kinder Surprise is especially popular in countries like Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom.
The Story Behind Kinder Surprise
The idea for Kinder Surprise came from Michele Ferrero in 1968. He wanted to create a product that would give children a small "surprise" every day. This was inspired by the Italian Easter tradition of giving chocolate eggs with toys. At first, some of his employees thought it wouldn't work. They believed chocolate eggs were only for Easter.
Ferrero also wanted the product to have more milk. He thought mothers would like the idea of giving their children more milk. He asked William Salice to help make this idea real.
The Ferrero company in Italy started making Kinder Surprises in 1974. Since then, billions of these eggs have been sold around the world. William Salice, who helped create the Kinder Surprise, passed away in 2016 at the age of 83.
Toy Collections and Partnerships
The toys inside Kinder Surprise eggs often feature popular characters. Some famous collections have included Asterix, Smurfs, and Minions.
Ferrero and Kinder have also worked with many different companies and groups. They have partnered with The Walt Disney Company, Universal, and Smart to promote Kinder Surprise.
Safety Information
Kinder Surprise eggs have warnings on their packaging. These warnings state that the toy is "not suitable for children under three years" because of small parts. They also recommend "adult supervision" when eating the egg.
Rules in Different Countries
Some countries have specific rules about products like Kinder Surprise.
United States
In the United States, there are laws about food products that contain non-food items. The law generally does not allow candy that has a toy or trinket inside.
In 1997, some Kinder Surprise eggs were brought into the US illegally. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission looked at them. They found that the toys inside had small parts. Because chocolate products are often eaten by children of all ages, including very young ones, the eggs were not allowed.
Kinder Surprise eggs are allowed in Canada and Mexico. However, it is against the law to bring them into the US. In 2011, a person was threatened with a fine for carrying one egg across the US border. In 2012, two men were held for hours after six Kinder Surprise eggs were found in their car.
In 2017, a similar product called Kinder Joy eggs started being sold in the United States. These eggs are different because the toy and chocolate are in separate parts of the egg-shaped package.
Chile
In 2016, new food labeling laws in Chile led to Kinder Surprise being banned there.
Belgium
In 2022, health officials in Belgium reported cases of salmonella. This was linked to some Kinder Surprise eggs that were contaminated.
Canada
Also in 2022, Ferrero Canada Ltd. recalled some Kinder chocolate products in Canada. This included Kinder Surprise 100g eggs. The recall was done voluntarily by the company. No illnesses were reported from eating these products in Canada.
See also
In Spanish: Kinder Sorpresa para niños
- Easter egg
- Capsule toy
- Choco Treasure
- List of confectionery brands
- Wonder Ball
