La Dolce Vita or Bust

August 18th, 2008

The food police are at it again (this time in Germany) trying to save us from ourselves. Politicians there have recently announced their intentions to ban the popular candy, Kinder Surprise, for fear the small toy nestled inside the egg is a choking hazard. They contend that children cannot differentiate between toys and “nutritional matter” and therefore the treat is dangerous. Ferrero, the company that manufacturers the product, has fired back angrily that there is no evidence to support that children over the age of five cannot differentiate between chocolate and hard plastic (there’s a shocker). Furthermore, there are no cases on record of a child choking on a Kinder Surprise toy. (Probably because their parents confiscate the toys immediately for themselves but that is another blog.) The German government at this point is unmoved by the growing protests of adults and children alike at the potential banning of the beloved confection. It is now very difficult to get Kinder Surprise eggs in the US due to strict import bioterrorism rules (I swear) as well as the same choking hazard that the German government now fears. As a result, I always make certain to enjoy one of my favorite treats whenever I travel abroad. At least I know the madness will never expand to Italy where the pleasure of food and drink always trump misguided rules or regulations. They didn’t coin the phrase la dolce vita for nothing.  (more…)

Entry Filed under: Food, Trends