On June 14, 2018, the Kellogg Company voluntarily recalled one of their cereals. Both the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control contacted the Kellogg Company in regards to reported illnesses they believed were linked to famous company’s cereal, Honey Smacks. After multiple cases of Salmonella Mbandaka had been reported to the CDC, the cases were ultimately linked to the Honey Smacks cereal, a product which had been distributed throughout the United States and to multiple foreign countries including: Aruba/Curacao/Saint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles), the Bahamas, Barbados, Tortola (British Virgin Islands), Costa Rica, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, and Tahiti (French Polynesia). The products being recalled are the following:
- Honey Smacks (with limited distribution outside the U.S.) in size 15.3 oz. with the Best if Used By Date of JUN 14, 2018 through JUN 14, 2019
- Honey Smacks in 23 oz with the Best if Used By Date of JUN 14, 2018 through JUN 14, 2019
The Facts
So far, the CDC has reported 73 cases in 31 different states with 24 hospitalizations, but no deaths have occurred. The following states have been affected: Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
The Infection and How to Reduce Your Risk
Salmonella symptoms are usually consistent. Most who have been infected by Salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, and in severe cases diarrhea can become bad enough that those infected need hospitalization. Most who are infected can recover without treatment within a week, but infants, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems might not be able to fight off the infection on their own.
As always, food safety precautions are important and can assist in minimizing outbreaks such as this. If you have purchased any Kellogg’s Honey Smacks that fall within the size and best buy dates of the recalled products, the FDA advises you to throw them away or return them to the retailer from which you purchased the product.
If you believe you might be experiencing symptoms of salmonellosis, contact your health care provider. For more information on this outbreak, visit the FDA’s website or the CDC’s website.