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Not all eggs are created equal in the eyes of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection.

Kinder Eggs, a popular European chocolate egg that contains a toy inside,
is banned from importation into the United States because it contains a
"non-nutritive object embedded in it."

With the Easter holiday around the corner, the agency issued the reminder
this week, warning that the candy is considered unsafe for children under
3. Last year, Customs and Border Protection seized 25,000 of them in 1,700
incidents.

The hollow egg, which is sold by the Italian confectioner Ferrero, is
available in Europe, Canada, Australia and parts of Latin America under
various names including Kinder Surprise and Kinder Sorpresa. It has taken
on a cult status among adults who collect the toys, which vary from rings
to animals and cartoon characters.

Kinder Eggs' scarcity in the United States has made them an object of
desi Various websites and online forums are dedicated to acquiring
them.

Some are apparently hiding in plain sight. Earlier this week, DNAinfo.com,
a New York City neighborhood guide, posted a story and slideshow showing
stores where the coveted treats can be found.

"While there are some commercial-sized seizures that occur, most Kinder
Eggs are seized in personal baggage or at mail and express consignment
facilities," Customs and Border Protection said.

A Canadian woman reportedly learned her lesson the hard way.

The woman was selected for a random search at a border checkpoint in
Minnesota when officials discovered she was carrying a Kinder Egg and took
it from her, The Toronto Star reported.

A few weeks later, she received a 7-page letter asking if she wanted the
egg back or if she was going to abandon rights to it, the Star reported.

"I was in disbelief," she told the newspaper. "It's a $2 egg."