24 hospitalized in Salmonella outbreak linked to Kellogg cereal

Kellogg’s® Honey Smacks® sweetened puffed wheat cereal has been linked to 73 cases of Salmonella Mbandaka illnesses in 31 states across the USA according to a report released yesterday evening (June 14th) by CDC.

Epidemiological evidence, based on interviews of some of the outbreak victims, pointed the finger at the Kellogg’s cereal.

The Kellogg Company announced an entire year’s range of ‘Best if used by’ dates in a recall notice posted shortly before the CDC news release.

The recalled items are:
Kellogg’s® Honey Smacks® cereal (23-oz pkg; UPC 3800014810; Best if used by JUN 14, 2018 through JUN 14, 2019)
Kellogg’s® Honey Smacks® cereal (15.3-oz pkg; UPC 3800039103; Best if used by JUN 14, 2018 through JUN 14, 2019)

Both package sizes were distributed nationwide in the USA. There was also limited distribution of the 15.3-oz package sizes in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, the Caribbean, Guam, Tahiti and Saipan.

According to the recall notice, the Honey Smacks cereal was manufactured for Kellogg by a third party. FDA has launched an inspection of the manufacturing facility.

The outbreak began the first week in March, with the most recent illness onset reported as May 28th. CDC warns that more recent illnesses likely have not yet been reported, and the toll of the outbreak is expected to grow. It usually takes 2-4 weeks between the time a person falls ill with salmonellosis and the time CDC receives a report.

Of the 73 confirmed outbreak victims, roughly two-thirds are female. Ages of the victims range from less than one year to 87 years of age. Twenty-four of the outbreak victims have been hospitalized.

Confirmed cases have been reported from the following states: Alabama (2), Arizona (1), California (5), Connecticut (3), Georgia (2), Illinois (1), Indiana (3), Kentucky (1), Louisiana (2), Massachusetts (5), Maryland (1), Michigan (4), Mississippi (1), Montana (1), North Carolina (3), New Hampshire (1), New Jersey (3), New York (7), Ohio (1), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (1), Pennsylvania (5), Rhode Island (2), South Carolina (1), Tennessee (1), Texas (2), Utah (1), Virginia (4), Washington (3), Wisconsin (1), West Virginia (3).

CDC offers the following advice to consumers, restaurants and retailers

Do not eat recalled Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal. Check your home for the recalled cereal and throw it away, or return it to the place of purchase for a refund.
- Even if some of the cereal was eaten and no one got sick, throw the rest of it away or return it for a refund.
- If you store cereal in another 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.
Contact a healthcare provider if you think you got sick from consuming recalled Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal
Retailers should not sell or serve recalled Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal.

The recalled cereal – especially in the 15.3-oz size – was in wide distribution across the USA. As of June 15, the following retailers have posted their own recall notices and product alerts. Please follow the links to access your retailer’s web site. This is not a comprehensive list, as some retailers are faster to respond than others.

Big Y
Brookshires
Department of Defense Commissary Agency – both 15.3-oz and 23-oz package sizes
Food City
Food Lion
Giant Food
Hannaford
Harris Teeter
Kroger Group – Kroger stores located in Georgia; South Carolina; Auburn, Alabama; Greater Cincinnati (including Northern Kentucky and Dayton, Ohio plus South Eastern Indiana); Central and Northwest Ohio; Northwestern Virginia panhandle; Michigan; Indiana (except SE Indiana, -Evansville-); Illinois; Eastern Missouri; Hopkinsville and Bowling Green, Kentucky; Nashville and Knoxville, Tennessee; Huntsville, Alabama; Greater Memphis area, Tennessee; Arkansas; Mississippi; Western Kentucky; Jay-C, Roundy’s Wisconsin, Dillons, King Soopers, Fry’s, Kwik Stop, Fred Meyer, Ralphs, Food 4 Less, Foods Co, QFC, Smiths
Lucky
Martin’s
Meijer
Price Chopper
Publix
Rite Aid
Save Mart
Schnucks
ShopRite
Stop & Shop
Super 1 Foods
Target
Walmart

OUTBREAK ALERT: Salmonella illnesses trigger Kellogg cereal recall

The Kellogg Company is recalling 15.3 oz. and 23 oz. packages of Kellogg’s® Honey Smacks® cereal after receiving word from FDA and CDC of reported Salmonella illnesses.

The recalled products include:
Kellogg’s® Honey Smacks®, 15.3 oz. Best if Used By dates from JUN 14, 2018 through JUN 14, 2019; UPC 3800039103.
Kellogg’s® Honey Smacks®, 23 oz. Best if Used by dates from JUN 14, 2018 through JUN 14, 2019; UPC 3800014810

Both product sizes were distributed across the USA. In addition the 15.3 oz size was distributed in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, the Caribbean, Guam, Tahiti and Saipan.

The recalled product was manufactured for Kellogg by a third party.

Neither FDA nor CDC have posted information yet on the number of Salmonella illnesses or their geographic distribution.

Although uncommon, Salmonella contamination of a breakfast cereal is not unprecedented. In 1998, an outbreak that encompassed at least 209 people in eleven US states was traced to Millville Toasted Oats breakfast cereal contaminated with Salmonella Agona. The Millville cereal was manufactured by Malt-o-Mill, Inc., a Minnesota company.

Kellogg is asking people who purchased potentially affected product to discard it and contact the company for a full refund. Consumers seeking more information, including images of these products, can visit kelloggs.com/honeysmacksrecall or call 1-800-962-1413 from Monday – Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET as well as Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET.

Another year, another Salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry flocks

Twenty-one people have been hospitalized with Salmonella contracted through contact with backyard poultry flocks since February 2018, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released today.

States reporting *Salmonella* illnesses linked to backyard poultry.

As of June 1st, 124 illnesses have been reported from 36 states. Nearly one-third of the outbreak victims are children of 5 years of age or younger.

The Salmonella outbreak has been linked to contact with live poultry – mainly chicks and duckings – in backyard flocks. The birds were obtained from multiple sources.

Several types of Salmonella have been found in outbreak victims, including: Salmonella Seftenberg, Salmonella Montevideo, Salmonella Infantis, Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella Indiana, and Salmonella Litchfield.

Since 2000, contact with backyard poultry has been responsible for 4,794 documented Salmonella illnesses in 70 separate outbreaks. Seven people died in these outbreaks, and 894 required hospitalization. Ten outbreaks occurred in 2017 alone, sickening more than 1100 individuals in 48 states, killing one, and sending 249 of them to hospital.

Keeping backyard flocks has become increasing popular in recent years, with more and more cities amending their by-laws to permit residents to do so. According to a 2017 article in the Los Angeles Times, more than 1% of US households now keep chickens.

All too often, apparently healthy baby chicks and ducklings carry Salmonella. Children are especially drawn to these animals, which are small enough for tiny hands to hold. Unfortunately, a toddler or young child is all too likely to neglect to wash his or her hands after cuddling a feathered pet, and is especially susceptible to becoming infected with Salmonella as a result.

CDC offers the following advice for staying healthy while enjoying the benefits of a backyard flock:

Always wash your hands with soap and water right after touching live poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam.
- Adults should supervise handwashing by young children.
- Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available.
Don’t let live poultry inside the house, especially in areas where food or drink is prepared, served, or stored.
Set aside a pair of shoes to wear while taking care of poultry and keep those shoes outside of the house.
Don’t let children younger than 5 years, adults older than 65, or people with weakened immune systems from conditions such as cancer treatment, HIV/AIDS or organ transplants, handle or touch chicks, ducklings, or other live poultry.
Don’t eat or drink in the area where the birds live or roam.
Don’t kiss your birds or snuggle them and then touch your face or mouth.
Stay outdoors when cleaning any equipment or materials used to raise or care for live poultry, such as cages or feed or water containers.
Buy birds from hatcheries that participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Poultry Improvement Plan (USDA-NPIP). This program is intended to reduce the incidence of Salmonella in baby poultry in the hatchery, which helps prevent the spread of illness among poultry and people.