Talk:Kinder Surprise

Warm climates for Kinder Joy?
The beggining of the Kinder Joy variety: "In warm climates..." is misleading. There must be other reasons for selling this also, as Poland or Germany can't really be considered warm climates and as the list states, this version is sold there. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.205.244.32 (talk) 00:27, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Ingredients
Generally some good information here, but do we need the ingredients list and everything? Makes it sound very much like it's been ripped from advertising literature. Darac 08:15, 24 Oct 2003 (UTC)


 * I've removed it, it's unnecessary. Dysprosia 08:17, 24 Oct 2003 (UTC)

Category
Italian cuisine... is this category appropriate? it is an industrial product .. nutella belongs to this category too? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.208.106.6 (talk • contribs) 14:20, October 8, 2004 (UTC)

Inhalations and regulations
I'd like to know how a toy can be "inhaled". They had this warning back in my school days. And just what is this American regulation about? -- Smjg 16:38, 31 Jan 2005 (UTC)
 * If a child had just drunk a cup of hot tea, this infra-red heat combined with the UV light from a nearby window if it was a particularly sunny day, would be sufficient to ionise a layer ~10 atoms thick around the toy, thus, if the child were to suddenly hyperventilate, the air resistance would blow this now superheated molten plastic back onto the toy, whereupon any sudden movement could cause the entire toy to vapourise, allowing it to be inhaled and cause cancer in rats. boffy_b 21:55, 2005 May 27 (UTC)

(Thanks for the contribution to BJAODN! That made my day!--Planetary 21:24, 1 October 2006 (UTC))
 * But...
 * Do children under 3 drink tea? Do many parents consider hot tea to be suitable for under 3s?
 * Surely somebody of any age can hyperventilate. Does a child become immune to the effect at 3?  And considering at least one source implies that this is longer than the average lifespan of a rat, how can they be sure? :-)
 * Moreover, is this really anything to do with "small parts"?
 * -- Smjg 13:40, 22 July 2005 (UTC)

The FDA has decided that putting plastic toys inside edible candy shells is a choking hazard. This was obviously decided by a stupid bureaucrat who'd never had a Kinder Egg, or they'd have seen that the plastic capsule in which the toy is contained is far too large for anyone to swallow by accident (or even intentionally). I was introduced to Kinder Eggs on a trip to Spain, and was so disappointed when I found out they weren't allowed in America. I'm glad stores that sell imported candy stock it anyway (and that any government officials who know that turn a blind eye!) Icarus 06:04, 21 July 2005 (UTC)


 * Does this also mean that fortune cookies are illegal unless the fortune is on edible paper? And that if an Easter egg is sold with sweets as filling, the sweets must not be wrapped?  Moreover, what about fresh fruits that have cores, stones, pips, etc.? -- Smjg 13:40, 22 July 2005 (UTC)
 * I haven`t eaten kinder egg for years, but it used to have paper strip warning that toy itself has smal parts and is inappropriate for children under 3 (which was true except for "every seventh egg"). However when I used to eat kinder eggs plastic shell (containg toy) was closed so tight that the easiest way to open it was with teeth and if you do so you can pinch your lips or tongue with shell and when I was opening shell in such way I always thought that I must be cerefull because if I would accedently inhale or swalow shell it would stuck in my troat because it is too large to simply swalow so FDA is right, but it is realy stupid that they have banned eggs - they could just warn people not to put closed plastick shells in mouth -- Xil - talk 14:17, 9 December 2005 (UTC)
 * I frankly doubt this regulation even exists - the "citation needed" tag has been there for ages. -67.163.21.39 18:38, 19 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Never mind; the tag is new. But it's still been unreferenced for ages. -67.163.21.39 18:39, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

Inhaled could simply mean stuffed up the nose. And FYI, do keep an eye on kids, they tend to put stuff in any hole they can find on their body.Youkai no unmei 21:42, 8 February 2007 (UTC) Liam was thinking that the toys could be accidently swallowed by the kids from the movie "Maria, Full of Grace." Any takers for this discussion jump-off point ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Igopogo69 (talk • contribs) 09:34, April 4, 2006 (UTC)

Move to Kinder Surprise
Kinder Surprise is the official name of the product - "Kinder Egg" is just a colloquialism. It even says so on the Hungarian egg shown. --Zilog Jones 01:29, 9 January 2006 (UTC)

I moved this to Kinder Surprise, but it was moved back immediately by another user, with no explanation. Kinder Surprise is the official name, and the article should be under that heading. I moved the discussion, I did a redirect. I don't see why it should be reverted.209.69.41.129 22:39, 11 January 2006 (UTC)

Kinder Toys being banned in US is a bold and justified step. As practicing pediatrician I have seen a case of kinder toy ingestion by an infant. It took two hours for the endoscopist(Physician using endoscope to see inside of food pipe) to remove a part of kinder joy toy from the stomach of this child. Organisations like the WATCH should in various countries strive hard to watch for hazardous toys and get them recalled from market. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Harshmohindersingh (talk • contribs) 04:59, 26 November 2011 (UTC)

Does this mean that Kinder toys are MORE likely to cause such issues? Are you saying that you have never seen similar problems with toys that are not covered in chocolate? Children cannot buy toys or candy, at least not at the age where they are likely to eat a toy. There are no hazardous toys, especially when they are properly labelled (like the Kinder Suprise), there are only neglectful parents. Kindly keep your meaningless anecdotes to yourself. 70.171.204.39 (talk) 16:31, 26 July 2012 (UTC)

Statuettes
"Most fans however were often disappointed to find such a figure in the capsule, because unless the person was a collector, it served to little interest of the customer as it was merely just a decoration, opposed to the little toys which had the fun of assembling, applying little stickers, and often a way to play with the toy, such as tiny cars or rubberband controlled mechanisms."

First, always be careful when using words like "most" in any article. Second, there have been these so-called "passive" toys for as long as there have been toys. Green plastic army soldiers are merely statuettes, but they literally sell by the bucketload. Wikipedia cannot be held responsible for Kinder Surprise consumers not having sufficient imagination or creativity to play with a statuette. Personally, I don't like stickers, but that doesn't mean I'm going to bemoan them in an encyclopedic article.

65.105.113.194 16:42, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

Cadbury poo egg
Say whut? Weefz 00:55, 14 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Vandalism. –mysid☎ 20:07, 14 March 2007 (UTC)

Article Overhaul
Wikipedians are encouraged to be bold, and in that spirit, I have undertaken an overhaul of this article, because it is rather sorely lacking in much essential information. I personally have a collection of over 5,000 Kinder toys, so I think I know a little bit about this subject. ;-)

I have added a lot of new information and created new sections accordingly. I also changed the "Statuettes" section to "Hand-Painted Figurines". I don't know of any Kinder Surprise collector who refers to hand-painted figurines as "statuettes". I'm also planning to add several new links and references, as there are a number of very informative sites out there. But I'll fine-tune my existing changes somewhat. I've left the introductory paragraph alone, as that actually looked pretty good, but may eventually make one or two minor changes to it.

I had a little bit of trouble saving my changes last night. When I first tried to save them, I got a message saying the edit couldn't be processed. However, it worked the second time, but I forgot to add back my note that I had overhauled the article and added much new information.

It is my goal to make this article a much more comprehensive and informative overview of Kinder Surprise eggs and toys, and I think I've already taken quite significant steps in that direction as I share some of the knowledge that I have gained from over a decade of Kinder toy collecting.

Best Regards

Nzyowie 00:30, 12 April 2007 (UTC)
 * What a great contribution. Thank you! :-) (I have made some minor edits to make the style conform to the Manual of Style.) –mysid☎ 16:23, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

USA
Children put things in their mouths. Parents are the ones expected to stop them. The only "retard babes" are the purely hypothetical ones that would be interested in you. By the way, you absolutely can get these things in the US (or at least I could in Minneapolis). Just look around. 70.171.204.39 (talk) 16:39, 26 July 2012 (UTC)

1997 Recall
I'm curious as to why a U.S. agency would issue a recall on a product that isn't legally sold here anyway. Anyone ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.71.198.62 (talk) 01:58, 24 March 2008 (UTC)

Impending ban?
Apparently Germany may ban these things. See this Guardian article. 86.136.250.154 (talk) 22:57, 30 September 2008 (UTC)

Who copied whom?
Interesting article. I've left the introductory paragraph alone, as that actually looked pretty good..."  But it is a word-for-word duplicate of http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Kinder-Egg.   Same author?

I'd like to see more on the legal battles in the UK and Germany. After a couple of hours of research (including media sites to which I subscribe), I've found a record of five deaths between 1995 and 2000, none since (someone will not doubt correct this if it's in error) with how many zillion kinder eggs sold? While the death of any child is a tragedy, a ban is fatuous. Should parents perhaps assume responsibility for looking after their children? Why were those five children allowed to access the toys in the first place?

68.150.132.36 (talk) 17:47, 30 December 2008 (UTC)

"Collecting Kinder Surprise Toys is Great"
The entire section looks like promotional material - not encyclopedic. Changed title, but wasn't sure whether to edit remaining section, or just rip it out. Thoughts? Heduanna (talk) 04:53, 26 February 2009 (UTC)Heduanna

Tagged for Original Research
This article needs to be rewritten or at least trimmed. It is written very much from a collectors point of view rather than in an encyclopedic style. It's much too long with unneeded, trivial information, and is completely unsourced. -- &oelig; &trade; 21:14, 16 January 2010 (UTC)


 * My name is Jeanne Murphy and I work in the USA for Ferrero, the company that makes Kinder Surprise. I wanted to clarify a few points about Kinder Surprise and some of the conversation here about where the product is sold and why. To start, the Food and Drug Act of 1938, which will help guide this conversation, does not allow for the sale of adulterated food.


 * The 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act contains a section that says that a confectionary product with a non-nutritive object, partially or totally imbedded within it, is considered as “adulterated”, unless the FDA issues a regulation that the non-nutritive object has functional value. No such regulation has been issued.  For these purposes, adulterated means “has partially or completely imbedded therein any non-nutritive object”. (Source: 1938 Food and Drug Act)


 * Essentially, the 1938 Act bans “the sale of any candy that had imbedded in it a toy or trinket.” (Source: New York Times, “Giants in Candy Waging Battle Over a Tiny Toy”, 9/28/97) It is not clear that Kinder Surprise indeed has an “imbedded” toy. (Sources: Merriam-Webster Dictionary, definition of “imbedded”) In 1989, Ferrero sought a regulation through a petition, later withdrawn.


 * In 1997, the staff of the CPSC, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, examined some Kinder Surprise illegally brought into the US. This product had foreign labels on it and was not intended for distribution in the US.


 * The staff determined that the toys within the eggs had small parts. The staff presumed that Kinder Surprise, being a chocolate product, was intended for children of all ages, including those under three years of age. On this basis, the staff took the position that Kinder Surprise was in violation of the small parts regulation and banned form importation into the US. (Source: CPSC Office of Information & Public Affairs, Release #97-172, August 18, 1997, “Kreiner Recall” ) However, no statute or regulation of the CPSC specifically addresses this category of products in the US.


 * I noted, in this section (Source: Product Label Displayed on Packaging)  wherever marketed and sold throughout the world, Kinder Surprise bears prominent warnings both on the outer and inner packaging advising the consumer that the toy is “not suitable for children under three years, due to the presence of small parts” and that “adult supervision is recommended” (Source:  Kinder Surprise package labels)


 * In view of all of the above, the legal status of Kinder Surprise in the US could be described as being uncertain. Jmm52 (talk) 14:46, 16 May 2012 (UTC)


 * Hmm, it looks like the article has substantially changed since I first posted the above message. However the article could definitely still use improvement. Despite your WP:COI you do seem aware of our policies and have relevant sources so please feel free to improve the article. -- &oelig; &trade; 05:42, 9 June 2012 (UTC)


 * I appreciate the ingenuity and fun of these products. However, in the UK at least 3 children died from choking on a similar product. When you weigh the fun of a chocolate toy against the death of 3 children, I don't think the chocolate toys are worth it. More significantly, a lot of other people, including the Consumer Product Safety Commission don't think so. Choking is a recognized hazard for children, and it's not rare. Here's an autopsy photo of a child that died from choking on a toy. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm041055 You can imagine how distressed his father was. I'm sorry you're losing the business, but it's not worth even one child's life. --Nbauman (talk) 06:49, 22 January 2013 (UTC)


 * OOoooorrrr...the parents could be sensible and not give the egg to the child unsupervised? Just a thought. We could ban Lego, while we are at it, or green crayons, or marbles, because people swallow, inhale and stuff them up their noses.2.101.148.39 (talk) 09:00, 20 October 2017 (UTC)Lance Tyrell


 * Miserable sod 68.53.153.57 (talk) 03:49, 5 January 2014 (UTC)

I don't think there are magicodes any more
I want someone 'in the know' to have a look at whether there are still magicodes. When I go to the site, there is no box to enter them, also the eggs no longer contain the little slips of paper. However (and this is a big 'however') this could be regional. I don't want to start editing, only to find that European users (for example) still get them. 76.10.182.75 (talk) 19:20, 3 May 2010 (UTC)

Took out a sentence
"You have to be careful; however some may contain toys that may choke small children to death. " I took this out because it's not in an encyclopedic tone and also because I think the choking question is covered in the first part of the article. I suppose some discussion of the safety of the small toys separate from the hazard of swallowing the whole capsule could be included if someone has a reference. Pinball22 (talk) 20:56, 3 December 2010 (UTC)

I believe Kinder Surprise Eggs are sold in a few places in the US, including Walgreen. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.93.240.163 (talk) 01:52, 23 August 2011 (UTC)

"including reasons involving the German across the street"
What is this? Some common phrase? Google does not know it as such. (it is in the first sentence under the prohibition in USA). --Xerces8 (talk) 16:25, 26 November 2011 (UTC)

"Four deaths between 91 and 98"
I think the article linked (citation 6) talks about 6 deaths, not 4, and the main subject of the article was an additional one in 1989. Perhaps too minor a correction to bother with? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.161.82.43 (talk) 23:52, 1 January 2012 (UTC)
 * In this edit http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kinder_Surprise&diff=507874128&oldid=506343315 on 18:46, 17 August 2012 User:Jmm52 -- who works for Ferrero -- removed the reference to the deaths, with no reason given in the edit box. --Nbauman (talk) 18:29, 22 January 2013 (UTC)


 * In further searching, I see that Jmm52 gave her reasons at http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:OlEnglish&diff=prev&oldid=505460834#Kinder_Surprise_Article_Clean_Up She claims that the Birmingham Post is not accurate, and UK government documents are.


 * Jmm52 is wrong. According to Wikipedia rules, The Birmingham Post is a WP:RS, and that's accurate enough to go into the article. You don't need any independent proof of the facts in a WP:RS. Removing it, OTOH, violates WP:NPOV.


 * I've read a lot of accident reports and articles about accident reports. Even in peer-reviewed medical journals, like the New England Journal of Medicine, accident researchers do Nexis searches and use newspaper articles just like this as data to find patterns of accidents -- for example, driving while using a cell phone.


 * Using primary sources actually violates WP:RS and WP:OR. Going back to original documents is a virtue for a term paper, but it's not what we do in Wikipedia. This is a good example of why WP:OR makes sense. You're using primary documents selectively. You're collecting enough primary documents to make your case, but you're not digging up the primary documents that would go against your case.


 * If you were, you'd contact the Birmingham Post reporter yourself, and the mothers who are organizing to ban these products, and get the names and dates of the actual incidents of choking with chocolate-covered toy products. Then you could post copies of the medical records and coroner's reports for each of the children. Like this one http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm041055


 * But that's not what Wikipedia does. If someone reads this article, they deserve to know that there are hazards to these products, and several children have died from them, according to WP:RS. --Nbauman (talk) 19:23, 22 January 2013 (UTC)

Origin of the "Kinder" name?
Hi there, does anyone know why the brand is called "Kinder"? I am asking because "Kinder" means "children" in German, and I've always been wondering why an Italian company should market their products with a German (and German-sounding!) word. So far, I haven't found anything on this either on Wikipedia (checking English, German and French version articles) or on the official Ferrero website. Would be grateful for any hint!

--Georgepauljohnringo (talk) 21:01, 2 February 2012 (UTC)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinder_Chocolate ferrero is based in italy but the kinder confection line was created by its german subsidiary --87.172.217.3 (talk) 03:38, 17 September 2012 (UTC)


 * This isn't true. Just like Mon Chéri (in French), Pocket Coffee (in English) or Bueno (in Spanish), it was elected a foreign name as a matter of marketing. In Italy it is a very common practice, especially to make a product more exotic. Also, the German chocolate is historically the most good in the world and Germany is one of the main markets of Ferrero. --Enok (talk) 00:28, 29 April 2013 (UTC)

-- This product is still originally German, so the original name is Kinder Überraschung. Edited the article to reflect that. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.219.200.156 (talk) 09:21, 27 August 2014 (UTC)

Product Label Displayed on Packaging
Due to lack of information within this article about the display of prominent product warnings I am sharing with the community a link to view the current product warning information. Wherever marketed or sold throughout the world, Kinder Surprise has prominent warnings on both the outer and inner packaging that tells the consumer the toy inside is “not suitable for children under three years old, due to the presence of small parts.” (Source: Kinder Surprise Packaging Warning labels) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jmm52 (talk • contribs) 19:17, 2 May 2012 (UTC)
 * It's WP:OR but put that aside for now. The warnings don't look that prominent to me, but that's a matter of opinion. The problem with warning labels is that children die anyway. This happens with a lot of products. There are people who say that if parents don't read and follow warning labels, it's their fault that their children die. If you want to find a quote like that from a WP:RS about Kinder Surprise and put it in, go ahead. --Nbauman (talk) 06:35, 22 January 2013 (UTC)
 * Maybe this could help? Collection of KS packaging on Eierwiki.de
 * At least for reference, it obviously won't help with the question "prominent or not"...Dahauns (talk) 20:25, 6 May 2013 (UTC)

Planned Page Updates
Ferrero, the company that markets Kinder, has engaged MSLGROUP, an external Communications agency, to manage the Kinder Wikipedia page. As MSLGROUP works to ensure accurate representation of Kinder on Wikipedia following the guidelines and rules of the platform, we have reviewed all correspondence and are presenting the following revisions for review. Please let MSLGROUP know if there are any additional questions or clarification necessary and thank you in advance.

•	Correction to the number of verifiable deaths attributed to Kinder Surprise to two, as the citations # 4 and #5 are not clear in their attribution of the brand(s) to the individual deaths.

•	Correction to the attribution of the death of Caren Day as she did not die from a toy in Kinder Surprise and neither cited article directly attribute Kinder Surprise to her death. The Yorkshire Post, 11/6/91 and Daily Sport, 11/6/91) correctly attribute the part she choked on to a Chupa Chups egg; one (Sheffield Star 6/11/91) incorrectly states was from a Kinder Surprise; however, Kinder Surprise never made a Bart Simpson toy.

•	Notation regarding the Birmingham Post article on November 28, 1998 that references “four other children around the world have died since 1991” without any indication as to the product origin or of what they died from/choked on.

•	Notation that we are unable to facilitate a retraction or correction from the Birmingham Post as both articles were published 28 years ago.

•	Removal of the photo of the child who died choking on a generic toy from this Talk page as it is editorial, against the spirit of Wikipedia guidelines.

Pending feedback, MSLGROUP will plan revise the Kinder Wikipedia page on September 15, 2013 to reflect the information and citations detailed below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinder_Surprise

Kinder Surprise, also known as a Kinder Egg or, in the original Italian, Kinder Sorpresa, is a confection manufactured by Italian company Ferrero. Originally intended for children, it has the form of a chocolate egg containing a small toy, often requiring assembly. "Kinder" is the German word for "children".

Description

Each Kinder Surprise egg consists of a chocolate shell, a plastic capsule, the contents of said capsule, and an external foil wrap.

The chocolate shell is shaped like a chicken's egg, and is of similar size. It is only about a millimeter thick, and consists of two layers: a milk chocolate layer on the outside, and a white chocolate layer on the inside. The shell is not a singular piece of material, but rather two identical halves split down a vertical line. These are lightly fused together just before the egg is wrapped, to prevent the halves from splitting apart under the light pressures expected during transportation.

During the egg's production, before the halves are fused together, the plastic capsule containing the toy is placed inside. This capsule is made from thin, flexible plastic, and is often yolk-yellow (though in the past it was also manufactured in a variety of colors). The capsule is made of two non-symmetrical, overlapping pieces: its bottom piece is almost as long as the entire capsule, and has two ridges protruding along its outer rim; the top piece is about half as long as the entire capsule, and has two corresponding ridges along its inner rim. When the pieces are pushed together, the ridges interlock and do not come apart without manual manipulation. To separate the two pieces, it is often necessary to apply pressure to the interlocking region at its opposite ends, bending it and causing the ridges to separate inside so that the halves can be pulled apart. Once the capsule is opened it can be re-closed effortlessly by pushing the two pieces back together.

The plastic capsule contains the toy itself (either in a single piece or in several pieces requiring assembly) and at least two pieces of paper. One paper lists the "choking hazard" warnings in multiple languages. The other paper shows assembly instructions for the toy and a picture of the assembled toy (if applicable), and/or an illustration of all toys belonging to the same line as the one contained within this particular capsule. Furthermore, many capsules include a small page of adhesive decals that may be placed on the assembled toy after construction.

Once the egg is assembled in the factory, it is wrapped in a thin metal foil bearing the Kinder Surprise brand name and various production details. The eggs may then be sold in any of a number of forms, often either individually or as a boxed set of 3 eggs. Some retailers will sell a tray of eggs containing 24 eggs in total.

Assembly of the toys requires no additional tools, as the pieces will simply lock ("snap") together. Assembly rarely takes more than a few simple steps. Most toys can be disassembled and reassembled freely, while a few cannot be disassembled without causing permanent damage. Over the years, Ferrero have also created a variety of no-assembly toys, whether more complex toys that can be used immediately or simple character statuettes made of a single, pre-painted piece of hard plastic.

During the 2000s, Ferrero redesigned the Kinder Egg's internal plastic capsule. The new design is visually and functionally similar to that of the original capsule, but it now consists only of a single piece of plastic with a hinge on one side. The size and specific design of each half of the capsule have also been slightly altered accordingly. The new capsule design is always made from yolk-yellow plastic.

Overview

Kinder Surprise originated in 1973 in Italy as Kinder Sorpresa. The concept of introducing a toy in a chocolate seems to have originated in Argentina in 1962, with the introduction in the market of "Jack" chocolate by the FelFort company.[citation needed]

The toys are designed by both inside designers and external freelancers (for example the French artist André Roche based in Munich) and manufactured by many companies worldwide, such as Produzioni Editoriali Aprile, a small company based in Turin, Italy, run and founded by two brothers, Ruggero and Valerio Aprile.

Kinder Eggs are sold all over the world, except the United States, where they are banned as a result of concerns that the toy may present a choking hazard. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act at Section 402(d)(1) says that a confectionery product with a non-nutritive object, partially or totally imbedded within it, cannot be sold within the United States, unless the FDA issues a regulation that the non-nutritive object has functional value and is non-injurious to health. No such regulation has been issued. As of March of 2013 A manufacturer has found a way around the ban, in his version, the toy is cased in a plastic capsule with a thick ridge that separates the two hollow chocolate halves. Due to this it is possible to sell them in the United States. These are called Choco Treasure and are expected to hit US shelves Easter 2013. Choco Treasure website [1]

In 1997, the staff of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) examined and issued a recall for some Kinder Surprise illegally brought into the US with foreign labels.[2]

In Europe they have become a minor cult phenomenon among adults. There is even a thriving collector's market for the toys. There are many types of toys available, but some of the most popular with collectors include the ever-changing series of small hand-painted figures (some have to be assembled); cartoon characters; metal figures; and jigsaw puzzles. Seasonal eggs are introduced around the holidays, such as the limited-edition creche collections (featuring such characters as the three kings, baby Jesus, and assorted barnyard animals) found around Christmas, and the huge ones found at Easter (extremely popular in Italy).

A relatively new innovation, triggered by the advent of the Internet, is the introduction of "Internet surprises". Accompanying the toy is a small slip of paper containing a "Magicode". This code gives access to games at the Magic Kinder website, some for downloading, some for playing online.

Classification and identification

Classifying and identifying Kinder Surprise toys is a rather complex exercise. There are several different lines, and a number of different numbering systems have been used over the years. Until the 1990s, the toys were seldom numbered at all, which can make identification difficult (although some early toys, especially hand-painted figurines, have a Ferrero mark). Kinder history can be broadly split into two periods: pre-2004 and post-2004. The pre-2004 toys were made by Ferrero. But in 2004, a Luxembourg-based company called MPG (which stands for Magic Production Group) took over toy production, although Ferrero continues to make Kinder Surprise chocolate.

In recent years, there have also been reproductions of older toys, which Kinder collectors frequently refer to as "recasts".[3] These "recasts" first appeared in Poland, but soon spread to other Eastern European countries and eventually to Canada, Mexico, South America, Australia and New Zealand. They have very similar papers to the original releases, but the numbering is slightly different. For example, a "recast" of K93 No. 81 is simply numbered "No. 81". Both the toys and papers have this altered numbering. Recasts are not very popular with collectors, but they are nevertheless sought after by completists.

Limited editions

In addition to the regular collectible toys, Kinder Surprise series generally contain special limited-edition sets. These sets tend to vary greatly between countries, with many variations in toys, but more especially papers, which tend to be unique to the specific countries in which the sets are released. Some sets are released in many countries, while others are only issued in one or two.

Hand-painted figurines are solid toys that generally do not require assembly. They are for younger children, however older people have been known to keep and collect the Kinder Egg Surprise toys. They are very popular with collectors. They can be broadly divided into two types: animal themes and cartoon characters. The earliest sets were released only in Germany and Italy, but after about 1993, they were released in many different countries. There have been many sets of metal figures, the majority of them being soldiers, issued since late 1970.

Deaths in the United Kingdom

In 2000, the parents of three children in the United Kingdom who died after choking on Kinder toys inside edible eggs campaigned for the products to be withdrawn from the European Union.[4] At least six Two children worldwide have died from choking on parts of the Kinder toy surprises a few days after they had eaten the chocolate egg; a third was attributed to another manufacturer’s product.[5]

Defenders of the chocolates said that these had been unfortunate fatalities. This was discussed in the UK House of Commons[6][7][8] and also by the UK Department of Trade and Industry which said, "The child’s tragic death was caused by the ingestion of a small part of the egg’s contents. Many other products and toys with small parts are available in the market place. If we were to start banning every product that could be swallowed by a child, there would be very few toys left in the market.”[9]

Prohibition on sale or import into the United States

The 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act contains a section highlighting that a confectionery product with a non-nutritive object, partially or totally imbedded within it, cannot be sold within the United States, unless the FDA issues a regulation that the non-nutritive object has functional value.[10] Essentially, the 1938 Act bans “the sale of any candy that has imbedded in it a toy or trinket.”[11]

In 2012 the FDA re-issued their import alert stating “The imbedded non-nutritive objects in these confectionery products may pose a public health risk as the consumer may unknowingly choke on the object.”[12]

In 1997, the staff of the CPSC, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, examined and issued a recall for some Kinder Surprise illegally brought into the US with foreign labels. The staff determined that the toys within the eggs had small parts. The staff presumed that Kinder Surprise, being a chocolate product, was intended for children of all ages, including those under three years of age. On this basis, the staff took the position that Kinder Surprise was in violation of the small parts regulation and banned from importation into the US.[13]

Kinder Surprise bears warnings advising the consumer that the toy is “not suitable for children under three years, due to the presence of small parts” and that “adult supervision is recommended.”[14] In June 2012 the potential fine per egg was quoted as US$2,500.[15] The rationale against a ban of the product also takes the form that deaths have been too few for it to be considered a serious danger. Additionally, the argument is made that there should be a consistent standard in place, as several worse dangers are not regulated.[16]

On December 26, 2012, a petition was created on the White House website through the "We The People" campaign to end the ban on the import and sale of Kinder Surprise Eggs in the United States. However the petition failed to meet the required number of signatures by January 26, 2013 and was therefore declined.

Two Italian Kinder Merenderos (Kinder Joy)

On March 13, 2013, "New Jersey’s Candy Treasure LLC" announced a new method of enclosing the toy. Each egg would feature a specially-designed capsule that separates the two halves of the chocolate so even a small child can see that there is something on the inside, thus circumventing the U.S. ban on “non-nutritive objects” that are encased entirely in food. These modified eggs are now considered legal in the United States. They are expected to be available in U.S. stores for Easter 2013. Called "Choco Treasure", these are neither manufactured nor licensed by Ferrero, and Kinder Surprise eggs remain illegal in the U.S.[17]

MSLNewYork (talk) 19:30, 9 September 2013 (UTC)MSLGROUP New York

Long detailed description of the physical appearance April 10, 2014 by kuchesezik, I am wondering as to why it is explained into such detail about the design of the product, a guide on how to open them, extract the toy and etc. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Kuchesezik (talk • contribs) 22:58, 9 April 2014 (UTC)


 * I approve of MSLNewYork's ideas. Zhang500 (talk) 02:17, 11 July 2015 (UTC)

Help correcting error in introduction
Hi to anyone watching this page! I'm working on behalf of Ferrero SpA via Glover Park Group and have a financial conflict of interest, so I will not be making any edits to this article. Due to this, I would like to ask if editors could fix an error in the article's introduction: In the first line it states "Kinder Surprise, also known as a Kinder Egg or Kinder Joy". The mention of Kinder Joy here is incorrect as it is a different product from Kinder Surprise, albeit also egg-shaped.

Per the Ferrero website, you can see that these are two products. Kinder Joy is a plastic egg, with a chocolate cream in one side and toy in the other, whereas Kinder Surprise is a chocolate egg shell with a toy in the middle. That these are separate products is also supported in independent sourcing: this French article discusses the difference between the two in detail, and in these articles about Ferrero's financial results from earlier this year, you can see that Surprise and Joy are listed as separate items.

Would it be possible to remove Kinder Joy from the first line? If editors think that a mention of Kinder Joy should be kept as a related product, I wonder if this could be added to the end of the introduction in place of the current mention in the first line, clarifying that it is a different but similar chocolate egg product. I'm open to others thoughts about this and how it should best be handled.

I'm also curious to hear from editors whether it would be reasonable to consider creating a separate Kinder Joy article if there are enough sources to meet WP:GNG. Thanks, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 22:56, 12 November 2015 (UTC)


 * ✅ Thanks to Dismas, this has been done. Also, to response from Dismas and Sluzzelin on the Help Desk re this request and potential article for Kinder Joy. Thanks, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk &middot; COI)  16:43, 18 November 2015 (UTC)


 * Pinging Doulph88 to this discussion. I saw you made some helpful edits earlier today, including reverting part of a recent nonsense edit. Unfortunately, that original edit re-added the incorrect statement that Kinder Joy is an alternative name for Kinder Surprise. Per the above, this is incorrect and I wonder if you would please remove this mention? Thanks, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk &middot; COI) 22:34, 2 December 2015 (UTC)


 * Noted. It might still be relevant to include it in 'variations' section though, which I have done so. Feel free to change it if necessary. Thanks, Doulph88 (talk) 10:39, 3 December 2015 (UTC)
 * Thanks so much Doulph88! By the way, I'm curious, is "Kindle" a typo or another name for Kinder? I haven't come across that before. Also, in case you're interested, I'm working on a draft for a new article about Kinder Joy and hoping to be able to submit it at WP:AfC very soon. I'll likely leave a note here when I do to see if anyone watching this page would want to review. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk &middot; COI) 13:33, 3 December 2015 (UTC)
 * Whoops, typo. It's fixed now. Doulph88 (talk) 13:46, 3 December 2015 (UTC)

Hey again, Doulph88, just to let you know I noticed that a (now-blocked) editor removed the edits you'd added as well as cutting other useful info and again reinserting the incorrect mention of Kinder Joy in the introduction. If you're around and able to fix it, I hope you can revert. Thanks, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 22:30, 9 December 2015 (UTC)
 * Quick update: I requested semi-protection for this page and this has now been done, along with reversion of the problematic edits. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk &middot; COI) 22:33, 10 December 2015 (UTC)

Urban legend; capsule colour and cash prizes in the UK?
Hi all,

I vividly remember than during my UK school days, in the early to mid-1980s, there was a legend that if you found a different-coloured capsule from the usual yolk-yellow, you had won a cash prize... anyone else around 40 years old recall this?

There was a whole prize "table" that seemed to be "known" with a white capsule netting you £20 and a red £5, for example. I noticed this was absent from the article, and went to get some references for it on-line, only to find nothing at all.

I never remember anyone proving it, by showing a letter or similar from the company congratulating the winner, other than it was always stated as a "friend of a friend" who sent his in and got back x amount (typical of an urban myth).

I'm going to add it anyway, but does anyone else recall this belief in their own school, in the United Kingdom?

Regards

James (UK) (talk) 12:13, 24 February 2016 (UTC)


 * Wikipedia articles can certainly include urban legends about products (eg. Pop Rocks), but these need at least one reliable source confirming that the urban legend ever existed. An editor's own unpublished "childhood recollections" are original research - I'm sure we could fill any 80s pop culture article with an arm's-length list of what supposedly happened to a friend of somebody's friend at one particular school.
 * I haven't ever heard of this one, and can't find any supporting evidence either (not even idle forum speculation) from a dig through Google. --McGeddon (talk) 16:36, 24 February 2016 (UTC)


 * Hi McGeddon,


 * Totally understand your response, and thanks for taking the time to remove the updated text, and post this answer. What I should have done is said something like "I want to add it, but can anyone shed any light on this?" on this talk page, rather than "I'm going to add it anyway". Appreciate the information and pointers over article content.


 * Regards


 * James (UK) (talk) 13:46, 29 February 2016 (UTC)


 * No problem - being WP:BOLD is the best way to start editing, and editors aren't expected to know all the policies by heart. Appreciate you discussing it and giving some background. --McGeddon (talk) 13:50, 29 February 2016 (UTC)

'After they had eaten'
In the Controversy/United Kingdom section I think it might be warranted to expand on/emphasize the point that this was "after they had eaten the chocolate egg", as in these children didn't choke accidentally while eating the chocolate (which would be implausible given that they are in large plastic eggs at that point), but after the toy had been taken out and removed from the egg, at which point the issue is exactly the same as any small toy or item being given to a young child and the fact that it was original encased in chocolate is irrelevant.219.88.68.195 (talk) 21:46, 9 October 2016 (UTC)


 * Exactly. The capsule is not "embedded" in the egg; it is wholly contained within it, with the chocolate being an outer container. You have to break the egg to get to the capsule, which isn't enrobed in chocolate, per se. 2.101.148.39 (talk) 09:05, 20 October 2017 (UTC)Lance Tyrell

Request to improve Description and remove poorly sourced Classification and identification
Hello again! I am back after some time to propose some additional improvements to this Wikipedia article. My request is on behalf of Ferrero SpA (via The Glover Park Group), as part of my work at Beutler Ink, and I'm seeking help from volunteer editors to review my suggestions. I've spent time researching and drafting original content about the Kinder Surprise, and I've placed a full draft for consideration in my userspace here:


 * User:16912_Rhiannon/Kinder_Surprise

To hopefully make it easier for editors to review, I'd like to suggest working through this section-by-section. Also, I'd like to note that I do not intend to seek major updates to the Safety concerns section, since this has been the subject of discussion and consensus for much of its content was established previously. There are some corrections I have, but I'll come back to those individually later.

Description

I'd like to start with a request to replace the Description section with a new draft. Currently there are some issues with this section's content:
 * 1) Most of the existing material is unsourced.
 * 2) The two inline citations are to Amazon.com and Ferrero's official website, neither of which are reliable independent sources
 * 3) The section is also overly detailed, describing how pieces are produced, assembled, locked, taken apart, and put back together (all without sourcing)

My proposed replacement text, which has been reviewed by Ferrero for accuracy, aims to create a more concise overview. Key changes:
 * All material is supported by reliable secondary sourcing
 * The level of detail is reduced, eliminating unnecessary and unencyclopedic information
 * It corrects the current mention in the article that the egg has a layer of milk chocolate and a layer of white chocolate; in fact the second layer is a milk-flavored cream, not white chocolate
 * The proposed text mentions that Kinder Surprise replicates an Italian Easter family tradition and includes toys collected by both children and adults
 * It also provides a couple statistics about the number of toys created and where the product is most popular
 * It adds mention of the egg's co-creators

Here's the draft section and markup:

Classification and identification

Secondly, the Classification and identification section is not appropriately sourced: much of the content is completely unsourced, and the citations present are to Megacom.net, Amazon.com, and official websites for Ferrero and Kinder. Not to mention, there are claims, such as "Classifying and identifying Kinder Surprise toys is a rather complex exercise." that do not read as encyclopedic. I suggest removing this section altogether.

Thanks in advance to any editors who are willing to consider these improvements. Wondering if either of you are interested in helping out on this article again? Questions or concerns are welcome here or on my talk page. Thanks. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 22:38, 2 March 2018 (UTC)
 * I've only had a chance to review the proposed description and found no issues with what you have produced. Your references are pretty complete and comprehensive. I also think your sources are better than what is in the current description. I will get this up and into the article either this evening or sometime during the day tomorrow. I was going to say to link to milk chocolate, but I noticed there was not a page formal chocolate. Something to add to my list. All the best.Whoisjohngalt (talk) 21:41, 22 March 2018 (UTC)


 * Thanks so much for the thorough review and moving the proposed Description into the article, Whoisjohngalt! What do you think about removing the Classification and identification section? The current material poorly sourced, if at all, and much of it just doesn't strike me as being encyclopedic. I'll be back soon with some more updates to propose, but wanted to see what you thought of that in the meantime. Thanks again, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk &middot; COI) 17:25, 23 March 2018 (UTC)
 * Thanks again to Whoisjohngalt for removing the Classification and identification section. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk &middot; COI) 17:40, 3 April 2018 (UTC)

Request to improve History section
Hello! I've returned to propose some additional improvements to this Wikipedia article, which I'm requesting on behalf of Ferrero SpA (via The Glover Park Group), as part of my work at Beutler Ink. I've spent time researching and writing original content, and I'm seeking help from volunteers to review my suggestions. I've saved a full draft here. However, as I noted above, I'm posting requests section-by-section for easier review.

Currently, the History section is underdeveloped and poorly sourced, focusing on seemingly random facts about Kinder Surprise rather than offering a concise overview of its history. I'm proposing replacing the whole section with a new draft I've written. My draft offers a more thorough history of the product, including its: conception, inspiration, and development; manufacture start date; and global sales. I also included mention of the main figures involved in Kinder Surprise's development, specifically Michele Ferrero and William Salice. The draft explains what their exact involvement in the product ideation and development was as this is currently missing in the article. Also, my draft omits the following details that are currently in the Wikipedia article, and I recommend not retaining these:
 * Toy designers: the source cited does not support this information, and I've been unable to find this in a reliable source
 * Worldwide availability: this information is not clearly supported by the citation provided
 * "Magicode": I've been unable to confirm this information is supported by the citation provided, and haven't been able to find another source, besides which these details don't strike me as being encyclopedic and certainly don't belong in a History of the product

Finally, I'd like to also suggest cutting the Limited editions and variations subsection, which was previously part of the removed Classification and identification section. None of the sourcing here is appropriate and the material does not appear to be encyclopedic.

Here's the new History draft section and markup for review:

Thanks in advance to any editors who are willing to consider these improvements. I'm keeping you in the loop, since you helped above and hope you might want to take a look at this, too. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 17:47, 3 April 2018 (UTC)
 * At first pass, the section goods good and is much more concise. Let me do a deeper dive into the references before I get this done. It will be this evening before I can get to this task (I have a day job).Whoisjohngalt (talk) 18:25, 3 April 2018 (UTC)
 * Thanks so so much, in advance! And no worries, take your time to review, I was happily surprised you replied so soon :-) 16912 Rhiannon (Talk &middot; COI) 18:54, 3 April 2018 (UTC)
 * Thank you to Whoisjohngalt for reviewing this and placing into the article, much appreciated! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk &middot; COI) 20:27, 4 April 2018 (UTC)

Request for new addition and introduction tweaks
Hello, again! Following on from my requests above, I have a couple more sections from my new draft to offer for review and for editors to consider placing into the current article. As above, I am making these requests on behalf of Ferrero SpA (via The Glover Park Group), as part of my work at Beutler Ink.

First, I'd like to suggest some all new content for the article, to summarize major collaborations for Kinder Surprise over the years. Currently the article does not mention any of the promotional partnerships that Ferrero had launched in the past to promote Kinder Surprise, nor the collections of toys that were related to these. While a detailed discussion of collections is not appropriate as it would not be encyclopedic, there has been enough secondary coverage that a brief summary is reasonable to include.

I've put together a short draft, which you can see below. If editors agree this is neutral, appropriate and non-promotional, I'd suggest adding this below the History section:

Secondly, now that the Description and History have been updated, the introduction of the article can also be refreshed to better summarize the article's content. Not much change is needed, but I am suggesting some small tweaks to provide more information and improve flow:

Once again, thanks in advance to any editors who are willing to review and move these drafts live. Please let me know if you have any questions or feedback. Letting you know about these drafts, in case you'd also like to look at them following your reviews of my previous requests here. Thanks, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 16:41, 9 April 2018 (UTC)
 * Thanks so much to Whoisjohngalt for reviewing and moving these two drafts live! I also see that TSP made a follow-up edit to the introduction to add back "Kinder Egg" with some sourcing for that, and I'm fine with that edit. I will have a few more small tweaks to suggest to this article, as a final request here; I'll follow up with that soon. Thanks again, 16912 Rhiannon (Talk &middot; COI) 19:17, 11 April 2018 (UTC)

Request for some small fixes and updates
Hello!, I'm back with—hopefully—a final request for updating this article, which I am submitting on behalf of Ferrero SpA (via The Glover Park Group), as part of my work at Beutler Ink. This request is a bit of a "catch all" and includes several suggestions for fixing some issues and / or generally seeking to improve the existing article.

First, I'd like to address the Alternative subsection. All of the content and sourcing of this subsection relate to Kinder Joy, not Kinder Surprise. The Kinder Joy is a different product than the Kinder Surprise, rather than a "variation" upon Kinder Surprise per the article's current wording, and has its own Wikipedia article where this launch is already discussed. I propose removing the subsection from the article, which would involve deleting the following content:



Next, in the Chile subsection, I'd like to point out that Reference #48 does not mention the Kinder Surprise. In looking into this, it appears that it was a 2016 law that affected Kinder Surprise, not this 2013 one. I assume there is another Wikipedia article where the 2013 law should be mentioned, but I propose removing this content from the Kinder Surprise article:



In the same section, I propose trimming and clarifying the summary about the food labeling law. Currently, the content is too detailed and not specifically about the Kinder Surprise. I propose replacing the following:



...with the following new summary, which is more neutral and succinct:



Also, I propose adding the following image, in place of the current image at the top of the article: File:Kinder Surprise 2017.png. This image was provided by Ferrero SpA, and an email with details of the permission for this file has been sent to Commons OTRS.

Finally, I have a couple of suggestions for some general clean-up:
 * There are two stray and unformatted URLs at the bottom of the article, which I believe can be removed. The Fortune link already appears as an inline citation earlier in the article, and the Today URL is about the Kinder Joy.
 * I also proposing removing the "See also" section, which just links to competing products, not so much related topics.

Again, thanks in advance to any volunteers who are willing to review this request and make these changes appropriately. Letting you know about these final requests, in case you'd also like to look at them following your reviews of my previous proposals. Thank you. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk · COI) 18:32, 13 April 2018 (UTC)


 * Thanks again so much to Whoisjohngalt for the review and making the changes in the article (aside from the See also section, which I understand if editors prefer to retain). I believe that's all of the updates that I have for this article, but will post here if anything else comes to mind. Thanks again! 16912 Rhiannon (Talk &middot; COI) 20:03, 13 April 2018 (UTC)


 * 16912 Rhiannon, I prefer to have the See also section retained in this article because I believe it's good to have links to competitors and similar products.Whoisjohngalt (talk) 16:35, 14 April 2018 (UTC)
 * Aha, totally understood. Thanks again, Whoisjohngalt. 16912 Rhiannon (Talk &middot; COI) 14:44, 18 April 2018 (UTC)

Commons files used on this page or its Wikidata item have been nominated for deletion
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