Mars and Snickers bars
Mars and Snickers bars are seen in this picture illustration taken February 23, 2016. U.S. chocolate maker Mars Inc announced a recall of Mars and Snickers bars as well as some other products in Germany on Tuesday after bits of plastic were found in one of its products. It said the recall affected all Mars and Snickers products, Milky Way Minis and Miniatures as well as certain kinds of Celebrations confectionery boxes with best-before dates ranging from June 19, 2016 to Jan. 8, 2017. Reuters/Fabrizio Bensch/Illustration

Mars Incorporated has announced a voluntary recall of millions of their chocolate bars in at least 55 countries. The chocolate-maker ordered the recall of products from Mars Netherlands after traces of plastic were found in a Snickers bar in Germany.

The recall follows a complaint in Jan. 8 from a consumer in Germany who claimed to have found bits of red plastic, part of a protective cover, in the chocolate bar. Mars traced the plastic back to its plant in Veghel, Netherlands. The company said it believed the incident was isolated, but as a precaution, it announced the recall of its top products – Snickers, Milky Ways, Mars, Celebrations and Mini Mix – that were sent to 55 countries. It’s unclear if there are affected products in Australia.

However, the announcement has since changed. Mars acknowledged that while the number of affected products is limited, they have been shipped to numerous countries worldwide, including duty-free retailers. Chocolate and candy products that were manufactured at the company’s Netherlands facility from Dec. 5, 2015 to Jan. 18, 2016 are included in the recall.

“Only certain products labelled on pack as ‘Mars Netherlands’ are affected by this recall,” a statement on its official website reads. “Mars Netherlands exports to a number of countries and some duty-free outlets, so the easiest way for consumers to determine whether they have a product that has been recalled is to look at the label. If it is not labelled ‘Mars Netherlands,’ it is not included in the recall.”

Mars Netherlands is working closely with the Dutch food safety authority on the issue. A spokeswoman from the company said (via Reuters) that products with best-before dates ranging from June 19, 2016 to Jan. 8, 2017 are included. However, the dates may not be labelled the same in other countries.

It is unknown how the recall would affect the company’s earnings. Mars Incorporated is one of the largest private companies in the world, and therefore does not publicly release its earnings.

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