Boy, 3, ‘looked like he was dying’ after suffering suspected salmonella from Kinder egg

At least 63 people in the UK, mostly young children, have been infected with salmonella in a recent outbreak

Kinder have had to recall certain products over salmonella fears

(PA)

A three-year-old boy “looked dead” after he became violently ill after eating a Kinder Surprise egg, his mother has said.

Billy Way, from Barry, Wales, was hospitalised with suspected salmonella poisoning.

His mother, Kasey Cooke, said that her son loved the chocolates and would eat “at least one a week”.

She told The Mirror he got sick after eating the sweat treat.

A number of Kinder products, including the Surprise eggs, have been recalled over an outbreak of salmonella.

Ms Cooke said: “[Billy] was excited to eat the chocolate and have the toy inside. But a few days later he started being sick a lot.

“He couldn’t keep anything down and couldn’t even hold his weight on this feet.

“I had to put a nappy on him as he couldn’t get up to use the toilet. I went to the GP out of hours and he was so severely ill they said go straight to hospital.

“They were worried he could have gone into a coma as he blood sugar was so low”.

She added that when she sent a photo of Billy to her family “their response was that he looked dead.”

A spokesperson for Ferrero, who produce Kinder eggs, said they were “very sorry to hear about Kasey Cooke’s son and our sincere thoughts are with her family at this time”.

The firm added the outbreak was linked to a faulty filter at its factory in Belgium and it was investigating with food safety authorities.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Wednesday that 63 people in the UK, mostly young children, are known to have been infected with salmonella in the outbreak linked to the treats.

Tina Potter, head of incidents at the FSA, said: “Consumers should follow the advice in the latest recall notice, which details all of the products which may pose a risk.”

Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA, said: “We’re reminding people of the recall this Bank Holiday weekend as it’s possible these products have been bought and stored as gifts, or for events such as Easter trails.

“It’s crucial these products are not eaten and are discarded. Salmonella infection can be severe and many children affected in this outbreak have been very unwell and hospitalised.”