x
Breaking News
More () »

Salmonella linked to Honey Smacks cereal sickens 100 in 33 states

A salmonella outbreak linked to Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal has spread and consumers are advised to get rid of the cereal if they have it.
Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal (Credit: U.S. Food and Drug Administration)

One hundred people in 33 states have been sickened by a salmonella outbreak linked to Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal, the CDC reported Thursday. The company has recalled the cereal, and consumers and retailers are being advised to get rid of it.

Illnesses were first reported on March 3, and the most recent case was found on July 2. The CDC said illnesses after June 19 may not have been reported yet because it takes an average of two to four weeks between the time a person becomes ill and when their illness is reported.

Thirty people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

The CDC first announced the outbreak on June 14. At that time, 73 people in 31 states had confirmed cases of salmonella poisoning. The two states added to the outbreak are Florida and Colorado.

Of those victims who were interviewed about what they ate, the most cited cereal was Honey Smacks.

The CDC said lab tests identified Salmonella Mbandaka in a sample of unopened Honey Smacks cereal from a store in California. Tests also confirmed the strain in samples of leftover Honey Smacks cereal from the homes of sickened people in Montana, New York, and Utah.

The Kellogg Company recalled Honey Smacks that were within the one-year shelf life, but the CDC warns Honey Smacks with earlier dates may also be contaminated.

Use or consumption of products contaminated with salmonella can result in serious illness, including fatal infections, fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, especially for young, frail or elderly people, according to the CDC. Healthy individuals typically recover in four to seven days with treatment.

The CDC has this advice for consumers and retailers if they have Honey Smacks cereal in their homes:

* Do not eat any Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal, regardless of package size or best-by date. Check your home for it and throw it away, or return it to the place of purchase for a refund. The Kellogg Company recalled the cereal on June 14, 2018.

* Retailers should not sell or serve Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal.

* Even if some of the cereal has been eaten and no one got sick, throw the rest of it away or return it for a refund.

* If you store cereal that looks like Kellogg’s Honey Smacks in a container without the packaging and don’t remember the brand or type, throw it away.
Thoroughly wash the container with warm, soapy water before using it again, to remove harmful germs that could contaminate other food.

How to check which products are recalled

The recalled products also can be identified by the UPC code on the bottom of the boxes. The 15.3 oz. package's UPC code is 3800039103 and the 23 oz. package's UPC code is 3800014810.

People who purchased those products should discard them and contact Kellogg Co. for a full refund. For more information, visit kelloggs.com/honeysmacksrecall or call 1(800) 962 1413.

Natasha Blakely of the Battle Creek Enquirer contributed to this report.

Before You Leave, Check This Out