Kinder Eggs

[luke]

Am I right in remembering that the podcast crew recieved some Kinder Eggs not long back (the german chocolate eggs with the surprise toy inside)?

Just watching a show called QI (like a comedy quiz show with facts and stuff - QI stands for Quite Intelligent and is hosted by Stephen Fry) and apparently Kinder Eggs are illegal to import AND the most common object confiscated by customs - even more than Cuban cigars!!

How odd - anyone know why they might be illegal to import?

 

[Cyrano]

"Kinder Eggs are sold all over the world excluding the United States, where the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act prohibits embedding "non-nutritive items" in confections. Additionally, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall on the eggs in 1997 (mostly via import shops), likely as a consequence of the introduction of the rival Nestlé Wonderball product featuring Disney characters, which was also quickly pulled under FDA pressure"

This is what I found out from a search. Very strange.
Perhaps when Kraft take over Cadbury, Europe could find a similarly intelligent ban to implement

 

[doconeill]

I think I heard of these on one of those "worst ideas ever" lists...the idea of putting a small toy INSIDE something you eat, where a child could easily bite into it and then choke on the toy is admittedly a pretty poor idea...

 

[Cyrano]

I think I heard of these on one of those "worst ideas ever" lists...the idea of putting a small toy INSIDE something you eat, where a child could easily bite into it and then choke on the toy is admittedly a pretty poor idea...

The toy is inside a plastic container inside the sweet. The children here seem to mange fine

 

[doconeill]

The toy is inside a plastic container inside the sweet. The children here seem to mange fine

Yeah, I may be thinking of another but similar one (possibly the Nestle product), but I can imagine these things giving the FDA safety police a heart attack anyways...

 

[DisneyCrazyX5]

I just googled kinder eggs and found this site
http://new.canadaonly.ca/products/Kinder-Surprise.html

It says they can ship to U.S.

 

[mainegal]

The toy is inside a plastic container inside the sweet. The children here seem to mange fine

European kids are smarter?
Better risk takers?

 

[wishspirit]

I think I heard of these on one of those "worst ideas ever" lists...the idea of putting a small toy INSIDE something you eat, where a child could easily bite into it and then choke on the toy is admittedly a pretty poor idea...

Most children are not stupid enough to eat the toy! Seriously, these are toys are protected in a plastic casing which you CAN NOT bite through (I know, I've tried!) and then toy is not easy to inhale. Plus it does say not to give them to children under the age of 3, which is perfectly reasonable.

Back when I was a child they did have casing which split totally in half in the middle, then a small toy made up of small pieces (equivalent to say Barbie shoe size), then you made the toy yourself. Now they have cases which are too large to put inside the mouth, and toys with no small parts.

Yes I did put the plastic in my mouth with the 'old style' Kinder eggs, but you know what that taught me? Don't put small objects in my mouth!!!

I really don't see the issue. It is not harmful, no one has died or seriously injured, especially when the toy inside is larger than your average Barbie piece!

Sorry, but to think about banning it is health and safety gone mad in my opinion!

 

[dawn8179]

I loved Kinder eggs as a child. Lived in Germany twice. Hated that we could not get them here and no one knew what I was talking about.

 

[doconeill]

Most children are not stupid enough to eat the toy!

Ah, but you see, our laws don't care about most. Because there is just ONE person out there that could potentially eat this thing like its a Cadbury Creme Egg, our government assumes that we are all stupid.

This is why we have microwave ovens that have warnings not to put small pets inside, heavy objects that say not to drop on your foot, etc...

Sorry, but to think about banning it is health and safety gone mad in my opinion!

Now you know what we deal with here.

But in the same vein, they are also protecting us from some of the crap that IS being imported into this country that are turning out to be poisonous, etc.

I'd also point out that they did NOT ban the Kinder Eggs specifically...they were already included in a ban from a law that was enacted nearly 35 years before they were ever created - much earlier than the current nanny mentality of some of the stuff...

 

[georgemoe]

Chocolate frog?

 

[doconeill]

Chocolate frog?

I don't think we've banned edible enchanted chocolate animals yet.

Let's see what they can sell over at that other park...

 

[wishspirit]

Ok this got to me so much I looked for research online, and according to a few studies there is no more risks in products with toys within food to general toys with small parts in the ages of 3-6.

These children were fully able to understand the difference between the food and a toy, and mouthing behaviour only increased if the toy smelt or tasted like food.

 

[mainegal]

I don't think we've banned edible enchanted chocolate animals yet.

Yuuummy!

 

[wishspirit]

Ah, but you see, our laws don't care about most. Because there is just ONE person out there that could potentially eat this thing like its a Cadbury Creme Egg, our government assumes that we are all stupid.

I understand the point, but the fact if you can't eat them like a creme egg! It it impossible to bite through the plastic, and unless you swallowed it whole (which I don't think even a grown adult would be able to do) it is more or less impossible to ingest!

I don't see the difference between this and any toy with small parts. I would also be angry that my government is ignoring research done that shows this is highly unlikely.

I just cannot comprehend that America can allow guns when the UK won't, but sees chocolate eggs with toys inside to be dangerous?!? Doesn't that you make you think they have no sense of scale of risk?!? I know that the UK government is far from perfect, but at least trying to understand the difference between positive and negative risk.

Do you see what I am getting at here? I am not trying to cause arguments, but can you see my issue in understanding this?

 

[mainegal]

Kate, I totally understand what you are saying. I think chocolate and a small toy are a great mix. I enjoyed the one I bought in Canada. The toy was a mini-marvel.

 

[doconeill]

Please don't mistake my responses for meaning that I agree with the laws, or claim they make sense. They don't. You should see some of the laws that are still on the books...

However, these eggs, regardless of whether it is possible or not to actually chew or swallow the plastic inside, DO in fact violate the 1938 law. Now, obviously that law was enacted LONG before these came out, and more than likely didn't have these in mind - but unless the law is amended to exclude this specific case, it will still be illegal. And I'm afraid you won't find enough traction for such an amendment.

 

[DUHgreg]

European kids are smarter?
Better risk takers?

Fewer lawyers?

 

[DisneyJenn23]

I loved Kinder eggs as a child. Lived in Germany twice. Hated that we could not get them here and no one knew what I was talking about.

I lived in Germany as a kid as well and LOVED Kinder Eggs. I was just telling my mom how I really wanted one. I was at EPCOT at Christmas and they had the Kinder chocolate in bar form, but no egg. They tasted just like I remembered!

 

[Toy Story]

In Australia we can also purchase eggs that are the same size as Kinder Suprise eggs but have either Disney Princess toys or Winnie the Pooh toys in them. I assume they can also be purchased in the UK or Canada.