A salmonella outbreak that affected 73 people in 31 states has been linked to Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.
The Kellogg Company said Thursday it was voluntarily recalling 15.3-ounce and 23-ounce packages of the cereal with a "best if used by" date from June 14, 2018, through June 14, 2019, according to a statement.
The illnesses from the outbreak started from March 3 to May 28, the CDC said. The CDC said 24 people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported, the CDC said. Most of the outbreaks occurred in California, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania, the CDC said.
Based on epidemiological evidence, Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal is likely the source of the outbreak, the CDC said. The agency said 30 of the 39 people interviewed about the foods they ate in the week before they grew ill reported eating cold cereal, and 14 people specifically reported eating Kellogg's Honey Smacks.
Those who fell ill reported eating the Honey Smacks cereal more than another cereal, the CDC said.
After the CDC and Food & Drug Administration contacted Kellogg's about the reported illness, the company said it immediately launched an investigation with the third-party manufacturer that produces the cereal.
The UPC code for the recalled 15.3-ounce packages is 38000 39103, according to Kellogg's and the CDC. The recalled 23-ounce packages have a UPC code of 38000 14810.
Symptoms of salmonella include fever, diarrhea and abdominal pain that begins 12 to 72 hours after exposure to the bacteria. Most people recover in four to seven days.
