A multistate Salmonella Mbandaka outbreak linked to Kellogg’s Honey Smacks Cereal has sickened at least 73 people in 31 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Twenty-four people have been hospitalized because they are so sick.
The case count by state is: 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). The patient age range is from less than one year to 87. Illness onset dates ranges from 3/3/18 to 5/28/18.
Among 55 people who were interviewed, 24, or 44%, have been hospitalized. That is double the typical hospitalization rate for a multistate Salmonella outbreak.
Attorney Fred Pritzker, who has represented clients sickened with Salmonella infections, said, “Those who are at the most risk for serious complications are the very young, the elderly, and those with chronic health problems.” Call 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202 to talk to Fred.
Attorney Fred Pritzker, who has represented many people in Salmonella outbreaks and has won millions for his clients, said, “Ready-to-eat products such as cold cereal present a real problem when contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. People are very sick just because they had a bowl of cereal for breakfast.”
In interviews, patents answered questions about the foods they ate and other possible exposures the week before they got sick. Thirty of 39 people interviewed, or 77%, reported eating cold cereal. Fourteen of those people specifically reported eating Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal.
Kellogg’s recalled 15.3 ounce and 23 ounce packages of Kellogg’s Honey Smacks cereal on June 14, 2018. The cereals have a “best if used by” date from June 14, 2018 to June 14, 2019. The UPC number for the 15.3 ounce box is 38000 39103. The UPC number for the 23.0 ounce box is 38000 14810.
If you have eaten this cereal and have been sick with the symptoms of Salmonella food poisoning, please see your doctor. Those symptoms include nausea and vomiting, a fever, stomach cramps, and diarrhea that may be bloody.
Pritzker Hageman, America’s food safety law firm, successfully represents people harmed by adulterated food products in outbreaks throughout the United States. Its lawyers have won hundreds of millions of dollars for survivors of foodborne illness, including a large verdict for a child who had to undergo brain surgery after a Salmonella infection. The firm also publishes Food Poisoning Bulletin, a respected source for food safety news and information.
