Kinder Surprise egg nearly costs woman hefty fine at U.S. border

A cross-border kerfuffle over a popular chocolate treat nearly cost a Winnipeg woman a 300-dollar fine and saddled her with a bureaucratic headache.

Lind Bird was recently stopped at the U.S. border and selected for a random search of her vehicle. She was warned she could have faced a fine after the customs official found – and seized – her two-dollar Kinder Surprise egg as illegal contraband.

Bird learned U.S. authorities have banned the candy because they come with a plastic toy inside that could, if eaten, choke a small child.

She says she even got a seven-page letter asking her to formally authorize the destruction of her seized Kinder egg or pay 250 dollars for its storage in the event of a legal challenge.