Video produced by yours truly,
SIGN the petition to legalize Kinder Surprise in the USA
LEARN more about Kinder Surprise
TAKE ACTION against domestication of wild/endangered/threatened animals
DEMAND stronger gun control in the USA
Free the Egg VIDEO
Ban AK 47s, not Kinder Eggs!
Only one of these things is illegal to own in the United States:
Thats right, you can come and go across the US border with rifles, or buy your very own AK-47 or Uzi!
You can also buy yourself a Tiger in most States.
Want an Alligator? Go ahead and buy one! Monkey? Try one out!
But don’t even think about getting a Kinder Surprise for Easter: it is illegal to purchase or import Kinder Surprise chocolate and toys into the United States. A nation-wide recall was also placed by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission -though admittedly no Kinder-related injuries or fatalities were reported.
There have been, however, numerous tiger-related injuries reported across the United States, and alligator-related injuries are also (not surprisingly) common enough – not to mention the cruelty of holding captive wild animals as pets.
Naturally, the big child-killer in the US is guns.
According to KidsHealth.org, more than 1/3 of households with children in the United States own at least one gun. In fact, it was illegal to purchase Kinder Eggs in the US years before it was made illegal for civilians to purchase grenade launchers and semi-automatic rifles. In the year of the Kinder Surprise recall (1997), there were 32,436 gun-related deaths, and 64,207 non-fatal gun-related injuries in the US.
That same year, there were 4,223 children in the US killed by guns.
Yet the US government bans Kinder Surprises, and strictly enforces the law even right here at the Manitoba border.
There are some folks who are taking action to allow Kinder Eggs back in the USA.
The wordpress blog Free the Egg | Life liberty, and the pursuit of chocolate has caused a stir, and organised a petition to call on the US government to allow the sale of Kinder Surprises in the United States.
As a Canadian and Kinder egg consumer, I wholeheartedly support this campaign!
Kinder Eggs are both delicious, and fun – and have obviously been an important part of my creative upbringing. Please, sign the petition!
While you’re at it, learn more about campaigns against domestic ownership of wild animals like tigers and alligators:
The Tiger Next Door
World Wildlife Fund
And support the campaign for stronger gun control in the US:
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
Inflatable Cat
Welcome to Inside the Egg!
An ongoing collection of Kinder Surprise toys.
(this is simply the personal collection of a time-starved college student from Winnipeg, Canada)
Click on “Categories” to browse through toys ———————————————————————————————>
Click *News and Videos* for interesting and captivating insights!
Or scroll down for more!!
An inflatable cat with a fish on it’s tail.
Diameter: 12cm
UN 070
Kinder Egg bust at Canadian border a waste of time, says detained U.S man
Kinder Egg bust at Canadian border a waste of time, says detained U.S man.
via Winnipeg Free Press
VANCOUVER – A U.S. man who was detained at the border while returning home from Vancouver because he was carrying chocolate Kinder Eggs says the American law banning the treats should be eradicated.
Chris Sweeney and his husband Brandon Loo of Seattle were on their way back to Seattle after a recent trip to Vancouver, when American border guards told them that six Kinder Eggs in the trunk of their car are illegal in the United States.
The popular German chocolate eggs, which contain small plastic toys inside, are considered a choking hazard in the U.S.
Sweeney says a border guard told them they could be fined $2,500 per egg, and then ordered them to head to a detention centre, where they sat for more than two hours.
But after waiting and worrying about the possibility of a hefty fine, Sweeney says border staff inside the detention centre brushed off the offence and merely told them to never bring Kinder Eggs across the border again.
Sweeney says the ordeal was a waste of time, especially because the contraband treats weren’t even confiscated, allowing Sweeney and Loo to hand them to friends and family in Seattle.
Inside the Rubbish Egg: Kinder vs. Bob the Builder & Fifi and the Flowertots
While shopping at the local dollar store for fine art, I came across a new type of surprise egg: “Bob the Builder” and “Fifi and the Flowertots”.
Being a bit of a chocolate egg nutter, I decided to try them out.
The first prominent difference between Kinder Surprise and these new discoveries is that Bob and Fifi are not made by Ferrero. This is noticeable immediately from the quality of the chocolate. Kinder Surprise is made by Ferrero – known for its high quality and rich chocolate (the type you buy to impress your girlfriend on Valentine’s day). Ferrero designs Kinder Surprise eggs with a milk chocolate shell lined by white chocolate on the inside.
The chocolate egg by Fifi and Bob, however, is a brittle chocolate with no real flavour other than sugar (the type you buy for your girlfriend if you are cheap… she notices, trust me).
As it turns out, Fifi and Bob are made by Sweet SpA.
Sweet SpA eggs were first produced in 1995, and, like Ferrero are also from Italy. Similar to Kinder Surprise, Sweet SpA eggs also contain a surprise toy. These toys however, are a generic single-mould toy (not multiple buildable parts like Kinder) and are designed and distributed in bulk worldwide.
The disappointing chocolate is surprising, considering that the chocolate in Sweet SpA eggs is produced by Barry Callebaut – one of the largest chocolate producers in the world. It must be from their wholesale department.
What also makes Sweet SpA eggs different is their marketing strategy. While Kinder Surprise prides itself on its brand recognition, Sweet SpA operates based on licensing. In Canada, for example, Sweet SpA eggs are marketed through licensing by Chapman Entertainment (Bob the Builder, Fifi and the Flowertots and others).
Sweet SpA also licenses in other countries throughout the Europe, mainly with Thomas and Friends and Bob the Builder. The UK has some crazy looking Asian rabbit, and Hungary has Hello Kitty‘s little sister or something: “Charmmy Kitty“.
Also disappointing is that Sweet SpA eggs use the type of toy shell often found in toy vending machines, rather than the solid and trademark orange Kinder shell, making it seem less unique.
While it was a fun exercise, I think I’ll stick to Kinder, based on the quality of chocolate and the variety of toys that foster both creativity and excitement.
I also have no clue who Bob the Builder and Fifi and the Flowertots are. Probably rubbish shows anyways. (Kinder made Looney Toons, Yogi the Bear, Tom and Jerry, and Smurf toys! Awesome!)
<– the only kinda cool toy
Giraffe
Very Tall Giraffe
A very tall giraffe. In fact, this 22cm high giraffe fit into a 4.5cm high capsule. Very clever engineering.
Height: 22cm
MPG UN023
Airplane “Eagle”
Airplane "Eagle"
An airplane “Eagle” with ID number ST-54K.
Wingspan: 8.5cm
K97 n41
Pontoon Sailboat with Green Sails
Sailboat with Green Sails
A pontoon sailboat with green sail.
Height: 8cm
Length: 4cm
MPG DE076
Easter Chicky
Easter Chickie
From the Kinder Easter collection. A baby chick. When you push on a button on the back of the egg, the chick goes flying!
Thank goodness for the string, otherwise the US Consumer Product Safety Commission may have a point about Kinder Danger :S
Height of Chickie: 3cm
Length of safety cord: 13.5cm
DC 149
Haunted Castle
Haunted Castle
A haunted castle with a ghost.
Push on a lever in the back and the ghost pops out the front door! Ooooooh… scary!
Height: 3.3cm
Width: 4cm
K97 n1
Penguin Tourist
Penguin Tourist
A penguin tourist with camera and crazy shades. Stick a pen in his backpack and push… his flippers flip (and flop)!
Height: 4cm
K98 n55
Fairy Godmother
Fairy Godmother
A fairy godmother on metal rollers.
Height: 4.6cm
K98 n96
(sorry for the infrequent posts… mid-term exams kept me busy over the past couple weeks!)
InsideTheEgg 