Kinder eggs?

[soniam]

Well, not so "recent" the ban started in 1938.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/01/26/kinder-surprise-usa_n_9081286.html

The law may date to 1938; however, the ban explicitly spelling out Kinder Eggs was much later. Kinder Eggs have only been around since the 70s.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The law may date to 1938; however, the ban explicitly spelling out Kinder Eggs was much later. Kinder Eggs have only been around since the 70s.

Well, that's a little more "recent". 40 years ago, instead of 80 years ago.

 

[soniam]

Well, that's a little more "recent". 40 years ago, instead of 80 years ago.

The explicit ban was not in the 70s. CPSC explicitly called out a ban on Kinder Eggs in 2006. There are other recent bans that I don't agree with too.

 

[monkeybird]

Apparently I need to look for these in Vancouver... never heard of them before reading about them here!

So - if you weren't a big Kinder egg fan and don't follow disboards threads - how would you know they are illegal to bring into the US anyway? How did everyone here learn they were illegal, if not the disboards? I could totally see my mom buying these for her grandkids b/c they seem fun and having zero clue that she could be fined.

Well, I was born and raised in France so kinder eggs are very familiar and now that my kids have had them when visiting my family, they look forward to this special treat. When I started traveling between the two countries, I looked up the restrictions. It's also kinda infamous and resurfaces from time to time on the form of an article, or this meme that says one of these children is holding something that's banned in the US for their protection, and it's the kid with the kinder egg as opposed to the one with the gun.

 

[Starwind]

Yes, the Disboards is where I learned about them before we did our Alaskan cruise last year. It made us want to find them and buy them, just because they are illegal in the US, lol.

I still don't understand why they are illegal. It's not just a toy encased in chocolate. It is a hollow chocolate egg with a 1" plastic capsule that the toy is inside. I don't know who would actually eat that. It should just have a label on it that says 'choking hazard for kids under 3' like anything else that is small.

The official reason they are illegal to import:

US CBP: https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/cross-border-travelers-are-reminded-kinder-egg-ban

US FDA: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_107.html

 

[cmph]

Well, I was born and raised in France so kinder eggs are very familiar and now that my kids have had them when visiting my family, they look forward to this special treat. When I started traveling between the two countries, I looked up the restrictions. It's also kinda infamous and resurfaces from time to time on the form of an article, or this meme that says one of these children is holding something that's banned in the US for their protection, and it's the kid with the kinder egg as opposed to the one with the gun.

I seriously had never heard of Kinder eggs before the disboards. And truthfully, it never would have occurred to me to see what Canadian things I can't bring into the US b/c, well, Canada - you don't assume anything dangerous comes from there, haha!

I just asked DH if he knew of these, b/c his childhood was spread among the US, Scotland, and Switzerland. And he is laughing b/c he ate them all the time in Scotland when he was little and thinks it's hilarious that anyone would think it's dangerous, considering the hard plastic shell you have to get through to get to the toy.

 

[bibbidibobbidibecky]

I truly don't get why they are banned here. Like others have said, the toy is encased in a plastic egg inside the chocolate. No one is going to try to eat that. And the point isn't that the chocolate is that great, not for the kids anyway, it's the silly little toy. I'm pretty sure most of our chocolate went uneaten, especially on the Kinder Maxis.

As far as knowing they are illegal here, I'm not sure how I know that, it's just something I've always known. I think because I have been traveling to Europe for many years, I've just always known about them and at some point I realized I'd never seen them here, so searched it.

Now if you want good German chocolate, get some Ritter Sport.

 

[FigmentSpark]

My kids love kinder chocolate. They can take or leave the toy. I don't care for it, as it's got that European hazelnut base (don't tell my younger, nut-hating son!). I'm a Hershey's/Cadbury's loyalist.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Kinder eggs are illegal in the US, but are they illegal on the ship? Say if we were to grab some in Vancouver pre cruise?... Asking for a friend.

I bought some in Vancouver last year and brought them on the ship in a plastic grocery bag with other small treats we bought at the same time. They were not hidden and were not examined. We gave a couple to our stateroom host.

 

[bbel]

I bought some in Vancouver last year and brought them on the ship in a plastic grocery bag with other small treats we bought at the same time. They were not hidden and were not examined. We gave a couple to our stateroom host.

Well the ship wouldn't be bothered about it because it's not a DCL rule and don't have the power to fine you. It would be US customs/authorities that would examine/confiscate/fine.