The makers of Kinder Surprise eggs have apologised to horrified parents after toys their children were given inside the chocolate treats were branded with the letters ‘KKK’.

One mother said she was left ‘feeling sick’ after noticing the letters had been painted onto three balloons being held by a Kinder character, the same letters to identify notorious white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan.

Kimberley, from Victoria, Australia, said she initially ‘laughed in shock’ at the toy but then ‘quickly realised the serious implications it could have’.

My son got this as the toy in a Kinder Surprise chocolate egg! White pointy shaped character.

Donald Trump hair.

“KKK” balloons. Make chocolate great again??@colbertlateshow @iamjohnoliver @kindersurprise pic.twitter.com/07HwyHVjIc — Liz Cameron (@lizjohnson6) November 3, 2018

She said her 15-month-old son Alexander was not able to read what was on the toy but she feared it could have been a deliberate move.


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‘This is a massive oversight that anyone could have seen,’ Kimberly said.



She added: ‘It raises questions as to what the company supports and if this is subliminal marketing.’

Another mum, Liz Cameron, pointed out the toy also had similarities to US president Donald Trump – who has in the past been accused of supporting far-right views.

She wrote on Twitter: ‘My son got this as the toy in a Kinder Surprise chocolate egg! White pointy shaped character. Donald Trump hair. ‘KKK’ balloons. Make chocolate great again?’

Kinder’s parent company Ferrero explained the markings on the toy were a mistake and has apologised for any offence caused.

Bought myself a Kinder egg (don't judge) and here's what I got. I mean I know you can't get these in the US, but why make kids the target audience of this active measures/disinformation/sharp power campaign? Foul play, KKK! pic.twitter.com/hwy8Tn78Kv — Anton Tsvetov (@antsvetov) October 21, 2018

Some people got a little more than they bargained for when they opened their Kinder Egg surprise (File Picture: Getty)

In a statement, the company said: ‘As detailed in the note to our consumer, initially it was designed with one balloon with a ‘K’ on it.

‘However, two more were added to provide a more robust structure, as the safety and quality of our toys is of the utmost importance.

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‘We had absolutely no intention to make associations with the Ku Klux Klan and we truly apologise to our consumers for any unintentional offence caused.

‘We do not support this organisation in any way. The K on the balloons was solely meant to represent Kinder.’

They added that the limited edition toy had been manufactured to celebrate Kinder’s 50th birthday.

It has been discontinued and destroyed and anyone with one can contact their customer services for a replacement, the company said.

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