OTTAWA — U.S. authorities are urging Canadians to stop sending Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs to that country as gifts this holiday season because of a long-standing ban on the product south of the border.

A spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection says officers noticed a spike in the lead up to Christmas this year, so are hoping the alert will reach Canadians who don't know the ubiquitous product in Canada is actually banned in the U.S.

"It's mostly personal amounts going down as a gift," Chris Misson, a spokesman for U.S. Customs, said Thursday. "This is an informational thing to make people are aware that they don't lose the Kinder eggs at the border."

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission determined years ago the product did not meet the small-parts requirement for toys for children under the age of three, creating a choking and aspiration hazard in young kids.

As a result, Kinder Surprise eggs are banned for sale and import into the U.S.

Health Canada has a different take on the product, available in Canada since 1975 and especially popular at Easter and Christmas, when the Ferrero Group manufactures themed treats.

The Kinder Surprise, deriving its name from the German word for children, has always been legal here because Health Canada has determined the tiny toy inside is not likely to be used by children under three years of age.

As a result, "the requirements for small components do not apply to the product," Health Canada said in a statement.

Health Canada determined infants and toddlers don't use the tiny trinket inside the Kinder egg based on a number of factors, including the manual dexterity required to open the plastic egg that holds the toy and the complexity of the toy design itself.

The toys, smaller than the size of an eraser, could be a 3-D puzzle, have multiple small pieces or small stickers for application.

Meanwhile, the outer wrapping on the product carries the international choking hazard symbol for toys. There's also a warning in bold that reads: "Toy not suitable for children under three years. Small parts might be swallowed or inhaled. Adult supervision recommended."

Mark Wakefield, vice-president of marketing at Ferrero Canada, said Kinder Surprise is a hit with consumers because it's a great product.

"Kinder is a well-loved brand. The Kinder egg and its toy have been enjoyed by adults and children for more than 35 years in countries including Canada, Mexico, Italy, France, Germany, Australia and the United Kingdom," he said in a statement Thursday.

The Kinder Surprise was first launched in Italy in 1972, but Ferrero Group has never been able to sell the product in the United States.

In 1993, the company asked U.S. authorities to permit its sale, but the government turned down the request, citing regulations that prohibit having an inedible product inside an edible object.

Ferrero Canada, which also distributes Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, Tic Tac and Kinder Surprise in Canada, also offers a special Kinder Surprise Maxi, available only at Easter, and the Kinder Christmas Ball.