Kellogg's honey smacks cereal recalled due to salmonella risk

(HealthDay)—The Kellogg Company announced Thursday it was recalling certain boxes of Honey Smacks cereal due to the possibility of contamination with salmonella.

In a news release, the company said it "launched an investigation with the third-party manufacturer who produces Honey Smacks immediately after being contacted by the Food & Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control regarding reported illnesses."

According to the CDC, 73 illnesses potentially tied to contaminated cereal have been reported across 31 states. Twenty-four people have been hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported. Illnesses have been reported from May 3 through May 28.

The cereal under recall includes Honey Smacks 15.3 oz. size with the UPC code of 3800039103 (on the bottom of the package) and a Best if Used By Date of JUN 14, 2018, through JUN 14, 2019 (at the top of the package).

Also included are Honey Smacks in the 23 oz. size with the same "Best Before" date and the UPC code of 3800014810.

No other Kellogg products are affected by the recall, and people who find they have purchased one of the recalled products should "discard it and contact the company for a full refund," the company said. The cereal has a shelf life of about a year if left unopened, the FDA noted.

More details can be found at Kellogg's website.

The FDA issued its own news release on the recall, with agency commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb saying that the recalled cereal has been linked to "an outbreak of illnesses across the country."

"The FDA has already initiated an inspection of the facility that we believe is linked to the salmonella contamination," he said. "We'll continue to work with Kellogg to identify not only the source of the contamination, but the actions needed to prevent this kind of outbreak from happening again."

The FDA said it is also requesting that all retailers who sell Honey Smacks to "immediately put up signs that Honey Smacks cereal has been recalled and to remove the potentially contaminated product from shelves."

Salmonella can trigger serious illness, and can even be fatal for children, frail or elderly people and people with weakened immune systems. Illnesses typically last four to seven days, with symptoms including fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

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