I fought the law...

     In yet another fit of creativity this week, I'm posting something else for your viewing pleasure. Today on {radio announcer voice ON} BRIAN AND UKRAINE! {radio announcer voice OFF} we have a confounding confectionery conundrum.
     In America, we have all manner of chocolatey treats. From the world-famous Hershey's to the Pennsylvania-famous Wilbur buds, we know how to do chocolate. But one thing we don't have, unless you are very, very sneaky, is Kinder chocolates. Specifically, the Kinder Surprise.
     Around the world, Ferrero is a renowned chocolatier. In the USA, their most famous products are Tic-Tacs and Nutella. In Europe and Canada, Kinder eggs are more common. People across the European continent have been enjoying them for over forty years. Popular among children and adults, the treat is best known for concealing a toy within a chocolate shell. And therein lies the rub.
     Thanks to a law dating back to 1938, the tasty treats run afoul of the United States Congress and FDA regulations. The law prohibits a "non-nutritive" object to be concealed in food. There are exceptions, notably the Choco Treasure, but Ferrero's creation is banned for a very simple reason. The plastic toy cannot be seen from outside the chocolate when unwrapped.
     I've created this video to help my American audience understand what it is that I'm on about. These are two eggs that I bought on Monday during my International Women's Day shopping-spree. These however, were destined for my enjoyment.

     I should specify that it's the Kinder Surprise that is banned in the US. The alternative, Kinder Joy shown in the video, may not fall under the same ban. My research hasn't turned up anything conclusive. It is a completely different design from the Surprise variety and thus may skirt around the ban.
     Now obviously I'm being (half) facetious when I say that American children are too stupid to know there is a piece of plastic inside their chocolate. There actually were several instances in the UK of children choking on and dying because of the plastic in the eggs. But the label clearly shows that this is for children older than three. There are also warnings in the local languages about giving the candies to young children.
     The whole reason for this post is due to a promise that I couldn't keep. About five weeks ago, I had a Skype chat with a group of friends and offered to send some candy back for their kids. My reasoning was this. "We don't have Kinder eggs in America. The eggs have toys in them and the kids would love that. Therefore, I'll send some back with my mom." Sounds reasonable right? That was until I did the research. After discovering the ban and the potentially hefty fines, I thought better of it and chose a less-illegal option. That makes the video and this post into partial apologies for not sending something more interesting than two bars of chocolate.
     So for now, the scourge of illegal and dangerous candy will be stopped at the American border. The occasional egg does get through but those seem to be the exception. Until the American people petition their government for a change, they'll just have to enjoy the Kinder Surprise eggs on the Internet and during their vacations to Canada or Europe.