The production lines at Ferrero's Arlon factory, which have been shut down since 8 April, finally started up again on Tuesday 5 July, according to the Belgian press.

Production at the plant had been halted just two weeks before Easter following the discovery of .

After a few twists and turns, the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (Afsca) in Belgium gave the go-ahead for the reopening on 17 June for a three-month test period.

Cleaning and new tanks

Nevertheless, it took several weeks of preparation before the production lines were up and running again. According to various media outlets present at the reopening, Ferrero took advantage of the closure period to refine some installations and put new protocols in order.

The company, which is headquartered in Luxembourg, has invested in new butter vats, as the old ones were the cause of the salmonella contamination, according to the management. A thousand parts and nearly 300 metres of pipes have also been dismantled and disinfected, according to Belgian TV station RTBF. However, it will be several weeks before Kinder products are back in supermarkets. The Afsca's authorisation to reopen is subject to analyses of each outgoing batch.

The 1,000 employees of the factory have been able to return to work. But the company estimates first quarter losses could run into "tens of millions of euros”. 

Although production is gradually resuming, the investigation to determine the circumstances of the scandal is still ongoing.

This article was originally published in and has been translated and edited by Delano.