After months of warnings, it finally seems like the massive Salmonella outbreak that affected millions of eggs has officially died out. Shortly after that, the deadly E. Coli romaine lettuce situation, which sickened people all over the country, started to go away as well, making salads a healthy lunch option yet again. Unfortunately, though, we have something new to worry about. It seems like no item is safe from the possibility of food poisoning, including sugary snacks.
A popular Kellogg’s cereal has now been recalled in 31 states because of yet another Salmonella outbreak.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a Salmonella outbreak that affected 73 people in 31 states has now been linked to Kellogg’s Honey Smacks Cereal. Yes, that’s right — your favorite sweet breakfast treat could lead to a potentially deathly illness. On Thursday, June 14th, the Kellogg Company stated they were voluntarily recalling 15.3-ounce and 23-ounce packages of the Honey Smacks cereal with a “best if used by” date from June 14th, 2018 through June 14th, 2019.
We’re very sorry to tell you that we are voluntarily recalling all 15.3 oz. and 23 oz. packages of Kellogg’s® Honey Smacks® cereal because these products have the potential presence of Salmonella. More information here: https://t.co/xiuhmPMJpm pic.twitter.com/cBzs5pdVDl
— Kellogg Company (@KelloggCompany) June 14, 2018
The CDC says that illnesses from the outbreak occurred from March 3rd to May 28th. So far, 24 people have been hospitalized, but fortunately, no deaths have been reported thus far. Most of the outbreaks happened in California, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. 30 of the 39 people interviewed about the foods they ate in the week before getting sick reported eating cold cereal, and 14 people specifically reported eating Kellogg’s Honey Smacks.
The recalled boxes of Honey Smacks have UPC codes that read “38000 39103” on the 15.3 oz. box, and “38000 14810” on the 23.0 oz. box, so be sure to check any boxes that may be in your kitchen. The UPC code is located on the bottom of each box. If your box has these numbers, the CDC advises throwing it out or returning it to the retailer you purchased it from.
It’s unclear exactly what caused Salmonella in the cereal, but the FDA has released a statement saying that they’re investigating the situation. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said, “The FDA has already initiated an inspection of the facility that we believe is linked to the Salmonella contamination. And we’ve worked with the company to immediately initiate a recall of this product. We’ll continue to work with Kellogg’s to identify not only the source of the contamination, but the actions needed to prevent this kind of outbreak from happening again.”
Check your pantry: At least 31 states have been affected by a salmonella outbreak linked to Honey Smacks cereal, according to the CDC. https://t.co/VpU9ZEMUHc pic.twitter.com/uGbBUxrjMT
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) June 15, 2018
This sad cereal news comes shortly after the announcement that sliced melon has sickened at least 60 people in 23 states. Let’s just hope that none of our other favorite snacks become infected any time soon!
Salmonella side effects typically include fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. It can be fatal in young children, the elderly, and anyone with a weakened immune system. How can you be careful and make sure you don’t eat something that’s infected with Salmonella?
According to Foodsafety.gov, here are the steps you can take:
1. Try to stay away from eating “high-risk” foods. That includes raw eggs, undercooked ground beef or poultry, or anything unpasteurized (milk, juice, etc.).
2. Make sure foods that need to be refrigerated are in the fridge! We’re talking mainly dairy and meat.
3. Always, always, always wash your hands before handling any kind of food, and make sure your kitchen counters are clean before cooking.
4. Separate cooked meals from foods that are raw in the fridge. Whenever you use a utensil (say, a knife when you cut your raw chicken), make sure to wash it properly before using it again.
5. To make sure that everything you’re cooking is at the correct temperature, use a food thermometer. This ThermoPro model on Amazon has been rated over 6,000 times and is almost at five stars. You can buy it for $10.99.
6. As soon as you’ve finished eating your meal, store it in the fridge. Warmth breeds bacteria.
