The Next Step – We need YOU!

Time to Take Action!

Step 1:  Visit this site to find your Congressional Representatives – http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/  and this site for your Senators   http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?OrderBy=state&Sort=ASC  Letters, emails, or phone calls can be used!  (A sample letter can be found in our blog.)  To contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission (and I think we need to flood their in-box) please visit http://www.cpsc.gov/en/About-CPSC/Contact-Information/.

Step 2:  Using the information below, write a letter, an email, or make a phone call requesting they help us Free the Egg.  A form letter is available here https://freetheegg.wordpress.com/2014/04/15/sample-letter/.

Information to use:

• Kinder eggs are not allowed into the United States because of the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act prohibits embedding “non-nutritive items” in confections.

• US Consumer Product Safety Commission – recall of Kinder Eggs.  1997.  States (in part), “Some of the toys have small parts that present a serious choking and aspiration hazard to children under three years of age…  Ferrero said that it markets the product in other countries solely for children three and older and designs these toys to be assembled by older children.”  So the toys are specifically for over three, but were being recalled because the toys weren’t for under three.

• 2011 Customs and Border Protection reminder that the eggs are illegal.   http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/2012-04-05-040000/dont-be-surprised-kinder-eggs-seizures-double  Note that “In fiscal year 2010, CBP seized nearly 25,000 Kinder Eggs in 1,700 separate incidents. While there are some commercial-sized seizures that occur, most Kinder Eggs are seized in personal baggage or at mail and express consignment facilities.”

• Ferraro sells 1.5 billion eggs worldwide each year. Since 1997, there have been 7 documented cases of children fatally choking on the toys inside the eggs. If you factor in the 30 billion made since 1991, you get a .023% mortality rate.

• Over 60,000 Kinder eggs were confiscated in fiscal year 2011.  Confiscations done at post offices require a nine-page letter to the receiver (https://freetheegg.wordpress.com/2012/01/10/legally-speaking/).  The cost of printing and mailing each packet is a waste of government funds.

• The US Customs penalty for one ounce of marijuana is $500.  One ounce of cocaine or heroin is $1,000.  One Ferrero Kinder Surprise egg is $2,500.

• The Consumer Product Safety Commission has raided stores for Kinder Eggs.  (https://freetheegg.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/federal-officials-raid-manhattan-stores-selling-kinder-eggs-dnainfo-com/) Another waste of money.

• Customs and Border Protection letter dated March 8, 2012 (http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/2012-03-08-050000/importation-advisory-kinder-eggs) states, “Kinder eggs are a prohibited item because they contain a toy surprise, hidden inside, that poses a choking and aspiration hazard for children younger than three years of age.” KinderEggsareclearlymarkedforchildern over the age of three.  Their label is the same as other products sold in the United States.
  

  Ferrero Egg has the same warning as Legos.

  

  Ferrero Kinder Eggs have the same warnings as Legos

  
  

 

Step 3:  Email us at  freetheegg@gmail.com   Let us know who you contacted (please include state and their name).  Email again when/if you get a response.

 

	Senator	Representative	# Contacted	Responded
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut	2		2
Delaware
Florida	2	1	3
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois	5	3	7
Indiana	2	1	3
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky	2	1	3
Louisiana	1	1	2
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska	1		1
Nevada
New Hapshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Washington, DC	N/A	(non-voting rep)
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
CPSC	N/A	N/A	4