User:16912 Rhiannon/Kinder Surprise

Kinder Surprise, also known as Kinder Surprise Egg,  is a candy manufactured by the Italian company Ferrero SpA since 1974. It was co-created by Michele Ferrero and William Salice, and is one of several candies sold under the Kinder brand. Each chocolate egg surrounds a plastic capsule that contains a small toy. Kinder Surprise replicates the Italian Easter tradition in which adults give children chocolate eggs with a toy inside. The toys inside the eggs have become collectible for adults as well. Since 1974, 30 billion Kinder Surprise eggs have been sold worldwide.

Description


Kinder Surprise is a hollow milk chocolate egg, lined with a layer of sweet milk-flavored cream. Inside each egg is a plastic capsule that contains a small surprise toy, which sometimes requires assembly. The capsule case is yellow, reportedly to resemble an egg's yolks. The chocolates have foil packaging with warning labels advising parents to avoid giving the eggs to children under three years old, and encouraging supervision during consumption.

Kinder Surprise was originally created with children in mind, replicating an Italian Easter family tradition in which adults give children a large chocolate egg with a toy inside. However, Kinder Surprise toys have become collectible for adults as well. Collectors often try to acquire all toys within a themed set. Some even share their egg openings on social media, or create their own toys and re-wrap them in Kinder Surprise packaging. More than 100 new toys are distributed each year. Around 12,000 different toys had been included within Kinder Surprise as of 2016.

According to CNNMoney, Kinder Surprise is most popular in Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Michele Ferrero and William Salice have been credited as co-creators of the candy.

History
In 1968, Michele Ferrero raised the idea with his employees of a product that could be given to children so they could have a little "surprise" every day, based on the Italian tradition of large chocolate eggs given to children by their parents at Easter. Ferrero said that at first his attempt to follow through this idea was unsuccessful after employees questioned the order he placed for a machine to make the chocolate eggs. They thought it would not be profitable, since eggs are only for Easter. Ferrero also said that he wanted the product to have a higher milk content and make that a key part of its promotion; he felt that mothers would respond well to the idea of giving their children more milk. Ferrero commissioned William Salice to realize the concept.

The Italian company Ferrero began manufacturing Kinder Surprises in 1974. Since then around 30 billion eggs have been sold worldwide.

Salice, who has been credited as the inventor of Kinder Surprise but insisted he was just "material executor", died in Italy in December 2016, at the age of 83. The product celebrated its fortieth anniversary in 2017.

Collections and promotion
The toys within Kinder Surprise have been themed for various popular children's characters. Collections of Kinder Surprise toys have included Asterix, Fantasmini, Smurfs, and Minions. Ferrero and Kinder have also partnered with various companies, institutions, and people to promote Kinder Surprise, including The Walt Disney Company, Universal, and Smart.

Safety concerns
Please note: I do not intend to seek replacement of the existing Safety concerns section, but will have some specific requests for corrections which I intend to post individually