The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports another 30 illnesses in this summer’s Honey Smacks-related Salmonella outbreak. The agency recommends that consumers not eat any Kellogg’s Honey Smacks and that they clean any containers that held unused Honey Smacks.
Kellogg (K) issued a recall in June and the CDC announced in July that over 100 people were affected. As of yesterday, the agency reports 130 cases in 36 U.S. states, with 34 hospitalizations and no deaths.
Some retailers have continued selling the cereal, despite the months-old recall, the CDC says. Because the cereal has a long shelf life, many shops and homes may still have it. They are eligible for a refund.
Illnesses from this outbreak date back to March 2018. The outbreak is still spreading: three new states reported illnesses in August.
Salmonella, one of the top five foodborne diseases in the U.S., causes about 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths a year in the U.S., the CDC says. Most people develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps that last a few days to a week and don’t require treatment.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration denied a Freedom of Information Act request by the Miami Herald for more information about the facility where the outbreak originated.