Explore the Concrete Beach

            The U.S. has some odd rules in its history and some states do too. We’ve probably all have read on of those “crazy, but true law” books, read them online or had someone tell us on and responded, “that’s not true,” to just be proven wrong. The best example I can think of is in the state of New Jersey you cannot pump your own gas, which to everyone around here in Western Pennsylvania can’t wrap their minds around that, maybe because it seems lazy to us, but it’s true, you can’t pump your own gas in New Jersey.

            Well the U.S. seems to have problems revising some laws as a 1938 law is preventing one of the best candies from being sold in the U.S. That candy is the Kinder Egg.

            The Kinder Egg, also known as Kinder Surprise, originated in Germany. It’s a chocolate that hides a capsule inside that contains a toy, usually one that needs assembled. Think of it as a Cadbury Crème egg with a plastic mini-egg inside instead of cream. They are delicious and fun. People collect the toys that remind me of old McDonald’s happy meal toys sometimes.

            So why is this little piece of heaven not available in the U.S.? Well the 1930 Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic act prohibits placing anything “non-nutritive items in confections.” Sad, but true, thank you 1938. It’s not like they haven’t been sold in the U.S. before though. Import shops use to carry them until 1997 when the Consumer Product Safety Commission deemed them unsafe for small parts that little kids may chock one. Mind you Kinder Eggs came out in the 1970s and it took over 20 years for them to be completely banned.

           Nestle had  a product called the Nestle Magic, it was very similar to the Kinder Egg, except it was completely round in shape. It was covered with a thin layer of milk chocolate and had the plastic ball underneath, which contained a figure form one of Disney’s many animated films.

         Due to the 1997 Consumer Product Safety Commissions recall they were quickly pulled, which was unfortunate because they were a really great idea. In 2000 Nestle revived the Magic as the Nestle Wonderball, same concept but install of a plastic ball with a figure, it was hollowed chocolate ball with Disney characters in candy form, think SweetTarts flavor meets Flintstone Vitamins shapes that came with a collectible sticker. Not as cool as the collectable character.

            You can find some of the Nestle Magic toys on Ebay. If you search, it was so short lived they are pretty collectable. You can sometimes find a Kinder Egg in the U.S., but the store might not know, or the may, that it’s illegal to sell them. The closest place you can find Kinder Eggs is Canada. It’s sad you can’t find them here. Don’t get all, “well kids can choke on the toys” on me. Use common sense and don’t by little kids these and let them put tiny things in their mouths. Just like don’t stick marbles up your nose, gold star to whoever gets that reference.

         Has anyone ever had a Kinder Egg, or remember the Nestle Magic? Share your thoughts in the comments.