CBP warns against chocolate eggs smuggling

As families prepare for the traditional Easter egg hunt, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is reminding travelers that in addition to confiscating confetti filled eggshells, they are also on the lookout for chocolate Easter eggs.

Citing safety reasons, CBP officers will take Kinder Sorpresa chocolate eggs, a popular Italian treat consisting of hollow milk chocolate eggs wrapped in colorful foil paper, said an agency press release. According to the chocolate maker’s Web site, Kinder Sorpresa began making the treat in 1972.

What makes the Kinder treat a potential danger is that the chocolate egg contains a plastic capsule inside with a toy, according to official documents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall against the chocolate confection in 1997, labeling it a choking hazard.

Because of the potential danger, the FDA issued a warning banning companies from importing the treat, which is popular favorite worldwide. Kinder Sorpresa’s Web site even calls it a "cult phenomenon" in Mexico, Europe, Canada and South America, as thousands of people in these countries collect the plastic toys inside the treats.

Last year, CBP officers seized more than 25,000 chocolate eggs in more than 2,000 seizures.

Meanwhile, authorities have announced confetti-filled eggshells or cascarones also are banned and have placed limitations on empty eggshells to prevent the spread of Exotic Newcastle Disease. Exotic Newcastle Disease, or END, is spreads through contaminated eggshells and is considered a potentially fatal viral disease to some birds.

END is so powerful that many birds die without having developed any clinical signs, CBP said. The disease can also infect and cause death in vaccinated poultry.

Eggshells are considered potentially contaminated if they have not been properly cleaned.

The only eggshells allowed to be crossed are those that are cleaned, empty and decorated. The eggs must be for personal use and are limited to 10 per person.

Because the cascarones are considered an agricultural product, violations of the restriction can carry a fine up to $1,000 for individuals and up to $250,000 for commercial importation, CBP said.