I just found out today – thanks to a CTV artice – that Kinder Surprise eggs have been banned in the US since 1997! The ban is a result of the toys within the eggs failing to meet their small parts requirements for children less than three years of age. I searched online for any incidents of death by Kinder Surprise but couldn’t find any. Given the other more life threatening things we come across daily, I personally think that Kinder Surprise eggs should be the least of our worries. Even worse, the US Customs and Border Protection agency actually strongly enforces the ban and would confiscate any Kinder Surprise eggs smuggled into the country.
I hope this ban never makes it to Canada. To me, Kinder Surprise is not simply a fun toy inside a chocolate egg, but it’s part of my fond memories from childhood.
Wow – these are the only chocolates my daughter will actually eat – if I take these out of her easter basket she will have nothing left – lol!
Loved Kinder Surprise when I was a kid. The chocolate itself was delicious and the toys were a plus. Although we have similar rules here in Canada about small components being inside those products, Health Canada has stated that they don’t believe children under 3 would likely use the product. Kudos to Health Canada for having a little common sense. The onus should be on the parents and not the government whether to give their children this treat 🙂
Wow thats pretty random. I’m glad I know this now, I don’t really want to be strip searched over kinder eggs. But it would be a great story lol.
Can’t find the article on the star that I read a while back, but a Canadian woman was threatened at the US border with being fined for smuggling illegal items into the US and not declaring them. The item? Kinder Eggs LOL Here is an article about the incident, but not from thestar. http://news.iafrica.com/quirky/697770.html
haha…. maybe this is the reason why they make the “jumbo” version now…
well, I am sure in US still have alot copycat for sale in Dollar store…
Any diligent parent would realize they shouldn’t let their young child play with these toys. Like really! Don’t they even say not for children under 3?
nooooo. i hope they don’t do this.i love kinder..but they now make just the chocolate.no toy or anything.maybe they did that because of the us.the chocolate is what i like.my 4 year old loves the toys..i have noticed less little pieces.he got a duck last time with strings for arms that pull out.not far enough to strangle…
I hope this American policy never takes hold in Canada! I, for one, have been enjoying Kinder Surprise eggs since I was a kid, and it was not until I saw a commercial years later that I realized there was a toy inside. My fault I guess for devouring the treats without more diligence, but every time I laugh and feel the tickle of plastic car parts rolling around, I can’t help but wax nostalgic for my youth.
That’s not the reason I have read. I’ve read they are banned due to a law preventing inedible objects from being encased within edible ones. See here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2011/01/10/man-kinder-surprise-border.html
Also, this article does state both reasons: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/378773/why_kinder_eggs_are_banned_in_the_us.html
This seems totally ridiculous to be true.However,invoking the name of the United States adds credibility.
I just moved to Canada from the US last month and the first week I was here my husband (who is Canadian) and I were standing in line at the grocery store and I saw the Kinder eggs, so I poked him and whispered ‘what’s that?!?!’ (haha, the magic of a chocolate egg never dies no matter what age you are.) He laughed and explained it to me, so I immediately got one and cradled it in my lap the whole way home. I then proceeded to unwrap it and take pictures every step of the way, creating a photo montage that I later posted to fb. All of my American friends were in awe and jealous. haha. most magical experience ever. American policies tend to kill all joy and wonder. I sent a whole box of them to my siblings for Easter. They were not intercepted and successfully made it there. Little did I know I was breaking such an important federal law! haha, whoooooops…
Long live the Kinder Surprise!
Wow, the Easter Bunny has bought both my kids the large kinder-eggs for easter. But they are 16 and 21.
The States should then have to ban all products a 3 and under could swallow. Man without the springs in pens which a kid could choke on how will they write down the bans. Can’t use a computer as they have small parts housed inside the tower. Are they totally without brains down there????????????????????
I guess I can sort of understand the reason behind the law, but really it is up to the parents to know better…is it really that hard to understand that small toys should not be given to a child under 3 years of age? Anyways, I love Kinder Surprises, I actually collected a bunch of the toys at one point and I want to introduce my children to these when they get older….I think it’s so cool to get a chocolate and a toy inside! There’s just something a bit magical about it, and we all need a little magic in our lives 🙂
I think the law in the US states something about non-eatable items enclosed in food – not necessarily the age restriction?
At 28 I still struggle to get those blasted plastic eggs open to get the toy. 😛
Kind of odd that you can buy a gun at a US Walmart, but not a Kinder Egg.
That’s crazy. I’ve never heard of that before! We have higher safety standards than the US and we have them. My kids love them too!
Yeah sounds silly, but I guess if your child choked on one, it would be a different story :(:(:(
Feb 2011 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL6S1mTU2a8
Though they’re sold everywhere in Canada. Europe, Australia and parts of Latin America, Kinder Surprise eggs have been banned in the U.S. since 1997.
Yet even 14 years after that ban was put into place, U.S. authorities still have to periodically remind Americans – usually around Easter and Christmas — that if they pick up the eggs on their travels, they will not be allowed to bring them home.
Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 25,000 Kinder Surprise eggs in around 1,700 incidents, the CBP says.
Kinder surprise eggs. Illegal in the US.
You can buy a handgun but not a kids treat
Actually just a few weeks ago there was an article that a Canadian was crossing the boarder and their Kinder Surprise was seized
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2011/01/10/man-kinder-surprise-border.html
@Cakemaker
Agreed! At 20 yrs old, I sometimes struggle with opening the egg within which the toy pieces are contained.
I really hope they don’t ban them here… they are peanut/nut free and safe for my kids. There really isn’t much out there that’s peanut/nut free and “easter” themed.
I’ve known for years, its a crazy law. BUT kinder eggs to me don’t bring up thoughts of Easter at all.
My brother sneaks one over the border for his friends every time he visits. LOL!
It was around the time when kids were dying from those bite size Asian jello pops. They are made with seaweed, very chewy. (Tasty! You can buy them in Asian stores!) In fact, average of 5 kids die of those jello pops per year in Japan. It got very popular in the US in late 90s. Then couple of kids died from choking. So they went around banning all small choking hazards in snacks.
I giggle at the thought of a U.S Customs employee seizing Kinder Surprise eggs all day long… come on! Tax money well spent loll
Oh and to open it all you have to do is give it a good squeeze. If you pull upwards or downwards its hard, try holding it with 2 fingers in the middle and squeeze. *The* Kinder secret 🙂
I Agree with Insane, any diligent parent would realize they shouldn’t let young children play with these toys. It’s just the same with any other toy not for kids under certain ages. Kinder eggs have been apart of mine & my son’s childhood and now my grandson’s. I even remember a few years back when they had those bunnies inside every so many eggs and collecting they all!
but nowadays the toys are pre-made anyways! it totally takes the fun of it. all you do now is put stickers on it 🙁 maybe the US should reconsider that way i can go across and get them cheaper 😉
Why not just ban all children under the age of 3??? Troublemakers…
Banned since 1993, actually, under that particular statute. Banned much longer under a different, more obscure one.
Mother calls for ban after girl chokes on Kinder egg.
A death in England as the result of choking on the egg.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinder_Surprise
With more in depth article with some fun history too.
My neice and newphew love kinder eggs and they are both under three. They get the chocolate and my sister in law decides whether the toy is ok or not. She watches them with the toy and then puts it away when they loose intersest in it. Parents need to take the responsibilty for the toys instead of the government banning them.
When I came to have a couple years ago I saw the infamous Kinder Eggs in Walmart and my reaction was “WOW! I haven’t seen those since I was a kid! They banned those in the States because kids were choking on them” Kids would pop the entire small egg into their mouths and chomp down on them thinking they were like hollow easter bunnies and then the small pieces would be free…
Think the US is funny about banning that but in Canada it is illegal to bring or obtain a baby’s sit-and-move (seat in a plastic circle with wheels on the bottom that allow the baby to move around the house) because too many kids were falling down stairs. SO common sense says you don’t let the kid in such a thing when he can reach stairs and you watch a kid eating chocolate with toys inside HOWEVER not everyone exercises common sense all the time so governments try to protect those who can’t protect themselves by banning items that are commonly taken for granted as being “safe”.
That aside, I think its fun to put the kinder toys together and having choclate to eat while you do it is great.
first off, i hate kinder eggs, i think the chocolate is gross and that the toys are lame. that being said, the first i heard of them was when i was a nanny here in canada and the kids would get them as treats and i would spend the rest of the day fishing the toys out of the kids mouths muttering that someday they would choke on them and “there oughta be a law!” so when i found out that you couldn’t get them in america i thought finally someone had a brain and was keeping these out of kids hands.
if you knew how many times i had to deal with 3 screaming/ crying kids while i threw away those little toys because not one of them could keep them out of either their own mouths or the younger kids mouths you would know that they are a danger.
now that being said, its parents responsibilty to ensure their kids aren’t playing/ eating with them if they aren’t old enough. its just hard when grandparents or other relatives don’t think about the safety aspect of a treat.
also, my best friend lives in mi and i not only take her kinder eggs almost every time we visit, i also mail them to her on a regular basis- so much for border patrol strictly enforcing this ban…
This will happen when lazy people and oppotunist refuse to assume responsibilities. That’s why all the frivolous lawsuits.
Guess kids have to be protected from their stupid parents!
I’d never even heard of Kinder eggs until I moved here from Ohio last year
Totally crazy! Guess there is nothing else pressing like a kinder surprise infiltrating the U.S ! Lord what would they do?? Next you know they would be letting illegal aliens cross the border with turbins on their heads and give them health care , homes and jobs!! We best stop this evil Kinder Surprise !!!