After almost 50 years of being banned in the United States, the ever popular, and often smuggled, Kinder eggs are now available at stores across the country!

The original Kinder Surprise eggs made by Italian company Ferrero International, the same company that makes Nutella, were banned in the US by the Federal Drug Administration because the design presented a choking hazard. The Kinder eggs sold in 170 other countries consist of a hollow chocolate egg with a tiny capsule hidden inside holding a tiny collectible toy. The FDA prohibits any food that has non-food items concealed inside.

Kinder Surprise egg (Coralie Ferreira via Flickr)
Original Kinder Surprise egg (Coralie Ferreira via Flickr)
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Americans have been so eager to get their hands on the delicious treat + toy they have been smuggling them into the US by the tens of thousands at the risk of being fined $2,500 per egg if caught. According to US Customs and Border Protection, 60,000 Kinder Surprise eggs were seized in 2011 alone.

Finally, for the first time ever, a legal version of Kinder eggs called Kinder Joy are now available at stores in the United States. These American Kinder eggs differ from their overseas counterpart in that the chocolate treat and toy are now stored in two separately sealed halves.

Kinder eggs usa - Kinder Joy
Kinder Joy Eggs (Aaron Galloway/Townsquare Media)
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According to Ferrero USA, Inc., "One half contains a delicious treat made of two soft cream layers – one sweet milk-cream flavored and one cocoa flavored. Nestled into the creamy layers are two round, chocolate-covered wafer bites that are filled with sweet cocoa cream, to be eaten with the included spoon. The other half of the egg contains an exciting surprise toy."

Kinder Joy eggs united states
Kinder Joy chocolate treat and toy (Aaron Galloway/Townsquare Media
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Kinder Joy eggs made their debut in the US on November 24, 2017 with Ferrero giving Walmart the exclusive for 30 days. Now that Walmart's exclusivity has ended, the famous little eggs are also available at CVS, Walgreens, United Supermarkets, and other local drug, grocery, and convenience stores.

Now please, whatever you do, don't try to eat the half with the toy and give the FDA a reason to ban these amazing chocolate-toy hybrids for another 50 years.

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