The Kellogg Company voluntarily recalls a favorite breakfast cereal brand over a possible salmonella contamination. The recall affects Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal.
Kellogg's Issues A Recall
On June 14, Kellogg's released a statement on its website, saying that it recalls two packages of the Honey Smacks cereal. The two cartons, which are affected by this recall are the 15.3 ounces and 23 ounces packages.
If consumers have bought the 15.3 ounces of the Honey Smacks cereal, they should look at the package universal product code 38000 39103 and the "Best If Used Before Date" range of June 14, 2018, to June 14, 2019. Consumers who purchased the 23 ounces box, on the other hand, should look for the UPC of 3800 14810 and the same "Best If Used Before Date" range as the 15.3 ounces box.
Kris Charles, Kellogg's spokesperson, exclusively told Tech Times that they were first made aware of the potential health risk on Tuesday, June 12. They were notified by both government agencies the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control after the tainted cereal started to make people sick. The salmonella contamination affected an estimated 1.3 million cases of Honey Smacks cereal.
What's Being Done?
Apparently, no deaths have been reported so far, however, both the CDC and FDA confirmed that the contaminated cereal has made 73 people sick across 31 states. The two agencies also noted that there were 24 hospitalizations involved.
The tainted products were sold across the United States, Guam, and several international countries including Mexico, Guatemala, and Tahiti. Charles said that Kellogg's immediately reached out to Honey Smacks's third-party manufacturer. The company is currently working with them and the FDA to address the issue.
"Kellogg's is asking that people who purchased Honey Smacks to discard it and contact the company for a full refund," said Charles.
Notable Salmonella Outbreaks In The US
Meanwhile, a salmonella outbreak previously affected 60 people across Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. The CDC linked the outbreak to precut melons that were sold across Walmart and Kroeger stores.
The products were traced to a Caito Foods facility in Indianapolis, Indiana. These were recalled because of the salmonella outbreak included fruit medleys that contained melon, cantaloupe, and honeydew melons.
Moreover, Ziyad Brothers Imported issued a recall of its Tahini Sesame Paste last month. It happened after the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development found the potential of salmonella contamination.
The recall affected 8-ounce, 16-ounce, 32-ounce, and half-gallon jars of Tahini Sesame Paste. The company advised that if customers developed salmonella infection symptoms, they should seek immediate medical attention.
In April, Indiana-based Rose Acre Farms also voluntarily recalled over 206 million eggs due to possible salmonella contamination. The affected eggs were identified by the plant number P-1065, with a date range of 011 through 102 printed on the packaging carton. It was the most massive egg recall that the United States saw since 2010.
