The Kellogg Company announced Thursday that it is voluntarily recalling some of its Honey Smacks cereal for a possible health risk due to salmonella contamination. The recall comes after 73 people in 31 states were sickened by the product, resulting in 24 hospitalizations.
There have been no reported deaths so far.
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“Kellogg Company today announced it is voluntarily recalling 15.3 oz. and 23 oz. packages of Kellogg’s® Honey Smacks® cereal…because these products have the potential presence of Salmonella. No other Kellogg products are impacted by this recall,” the company said in a press release on Thursday.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that the recalled products were distributed across the U.S, including Guam and Saipan, and internationally in Costa Rica, Guatamela, Mexico, the Caribbean and Tahiti.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most of the outbreaks were in California, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania.
The recall affects 15.3-ounce packages with the UPS code 3800039103 and 23-ounce packages with the UPS Code 3800014810. Both have best used by dates from June 14, 2018, through June 14, 2019.
The company says it’s investigating a third-party manufacturer that produces the cereal, according to CBS News. The FDA is also inspecting the facility to collect more information.
Consumers are advised by Kellogg to throw away the affected cereal and contact them for a refund by calling 1-800-962-1413 or by visiting their website.
Most people infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, the FDA says. The illness lasts usually four to seven days and most people recover without treatment. However, it can cause serious and fatal infections in children, elderly and those with weakened immune systems.
Last fall, the cereal company was blasted by consumers who said the back of its Corn Pops boxes “taught racism.”
The interactive visual on the back of the boxes showed cartoon characters shaped like corn kernels having fun in a shopping mall. All the corn pops are showing doing various fun activities — like skatebaoaring, swinging, playing in a fountain — while the only brown corn pop is seen wearing a janitor’s outfit, cleaning the floors.
Kellogg apologized for the illustration and offered to redesign the artwork.
“Kellogg is committed to diversity and inclusion. We did not intend to offend — we apologize. The artwork is updated & will be in stores soon,” the company responded.
Photo credit: chrisdorney / Shutterstock.com
