Honey Smacks Recall Issued for 1.3M Cases of Cereal Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

Kelloggs has issued a massive recall for Honey Smacks, after the popular kid’s cereal was linked to a salmonella food poisoning outbreak that has sickened at least 73 people nationwide.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the multi-state Salmonella Mbandaka outbreak linked to Kellogg cereal on June 14, indicating that illnesses have been confirmed in at least 31 states, with 24 cases of food poisoning resulting in hospitalization.

Kellogg Company issued a voluntary Honey Smack cereal recall late yesterday for 1.3 million cases of the cereal, and has opened an investigation in conjunction with the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to determine the source of the contamination.

The manufacturer indicates it has reached out to third parties who produce ingredients for the Honey Smacks products. The investigation is currently still ongoing and the CDC will provide updates as more information is gathered.

The CDC and FDA were able to identify Kellogg’s cereal as the source of the Salmonella outbreak through epidemiological and traceback investigations. When interviewing sickened patients, the CDC reports 77 percent of individuals reported eating cold cereal within a week before their illness onset. Furthermore, 14 of those interviewed specifically reported eating Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal.

Illness reports received have ranged from March 3, 2018 to May 28, 218, however the CDC stated there may be more to come due to the time that it takes for infection onset and the estimated two to four week timeframe it takes to be reported.

The recall includes Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal sold in 15.3 ounce packages with UPC code of 38000 391103, and 23.0 ounce packages marked with UPC code 38000 14810. Both sizes are marked with a “Best If Used By” date of June 14, 2018 and have the UPC code printed on the bottom of the box.

The recalled cereal products were manufactured by Kellogg Company of Battle Creek, Michigan. They were distributed for sale to retailers throughout the United States as well as limited distribution in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, the Caribbean, Guam, Tahiti and Saipan.

Officials are asking customers to stop consuming any recalled Kellogg Honey Smacks products immediately and to properly discard of them. Even if no one has become sick, consumers should discard of them out of an abundance of caution or return them to their place of purchase for a full refund. Distributors and retailers have been notified of the recall and instructed to stop distribution and to remove any and all potentially recalled products from store shelves.

Salmonella is a foodborne bacterium that attacks the gastrointestinal tract, causing mild to severe symptoms. For most healthy adults, problems associated with food poisoning from salmonella typically resolve after a few days or weeks. However, young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems have an increased risk of suffering severe food poisoning after ingesting the bacteria. If not properly treated, some cases of salmonella food poisoning can lead to hospitalization, dehydration or death.