Honey Smacks recall: 8 sickened in Pennsylvania amid salmonella outbreak, CDC says

July 13--The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend that people stay away from a popular Kellogg's cereal linked to a salmonella outbreak that has now infected 100 people in 33 states.

At least eight people have been sickened in Pennsylvania, the CDC says.

The CDC announced Thursday that customers should not purchase or eat Honey Smacks, tweeting, "Do not eat this cereal."

The agency says at least 27 more people from 19 states have been added to the outbreak since it found salmonella in samples of Honey Smacks, which has been subject to a voluntary recall by Kelloggs since mid-June.

No deaths have been reported.

The CDC says that regardless of the expiration date, any Honey Smacks cereal should be thrown away or returned to a retailer for a refund.

Any consumers who store cereal that looks like Honey Smacks in a container without the packaging and don't remember the brand or type are advised to throw it away.

The CDC says consumers who believe they have stored Honey Smacks without the packaging should thoroughly wash the container with warm, soapy water before using it again, to remove harmful germs that could contaminate other food.

State and local health officials continue to investigate the outbreak. The CDC says health officials in several states collected Honey Smacks cereal from retail locations and ill people's homes for testing.

Laboratory testing by the CDC identified the outbreak strain of Salmonella Mbandaka in a sample of unopened Honey Smacks cereal collected from a retail location in California. Laboratory testing also identified the outbreak strain in samples of leftover Honey Smacks cereal collected from the homes of ill people in Montana, New York, and Utah.

All Honey Smacks products that were on the market within the cereal's one-year shelf-life have been recalled. However, the CDC says Honey Smacks products with earlier dates could also potentially be contaminated.

Advice to Retailers, Consumers

According to the CDC:

* Recalled Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal has a "best if used by" date from June 14, 2018 through June 14, 2019. The "best if used by" date is on the box top.

* The recalled 15.3 oz. Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal has a UPC code of 38000 39103. The recalled 23.0 oz. Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal has a UPC code of 38000 14810. The UPC code is on the bottom of the box.

Contact a healthcare provider if you think you got sick from consuming recalled Honey Smacks cereal.

Most people infected with Salmonella develop the following signs and symptoms 12-72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria:

* Diarrhea

* Fever

* Abdominal cramps

ssigafoos@mcall.com

610-820-6612

___

(c)2018 The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.)

Visit The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) at www.mcall.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.