Major Nutella factory granted for security breaches

Italian group Ferrero has been fined a total of 24,400 euros for violating the site’s security at the world’s largest nutella production plant in Villers-Ecoles, northwestern France, we learned from authorities on Thursday. .

On November 10, the Inspector of the Regional Division (DRIL) for Environment and Development stated on March 1, 45 that “two periodic inspections, including several refrigerated ones, were overdue for periodic inspections.”

However, “the lack of these regulatory controls does not allow knowledge about the condition of this device (…) which presents a high potential risk”, according to the text.

In view of these shortcomings, the prefecture concluded that “the required level of security could not be ensured”.

According to Ferrero, the factory has 400 employees

When asked by AFP, a communications official with the Ferrero Group indicated that differences identified in the 36 million euro investment plan announced in January were in the process of being reconsidered.

“The rest of the differences are purely administrative and documentary,” the group said in an email to AFP.

According to the email, “During drill control, no equipment was shut down”.

According to the Italian Group website, Ferrero posted a turnover of 12.3 billion euros for the financial year ended August 31, 2020, an increase of 7.8% over the previous fiscal year.

The group has 40,000 employees worldwide, with 1,450 in France.