Kellogg recalls Honey Smacks after multistate salmonella outbreak

Kellogg’s is recalling some of its Honey Smacks cereal after more than 70 salmonella cases from 31 states were linked to the cereal, including one case in Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, which issued a statement Friday echoing a national alert about the multi-state outbreak strain.

“The Illinois Department of Public Health is urging people to check their cupboards for Kellogg’s Honey Smacks and to throw them out if they find them, even if they have already eaten some and have not become sick,” IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. said in a statement issued by the agency.

The Food and Drug Administration said the food manufacturing brand has recalled both 15.3 oz and 23 oz packages of the cereal, with “best of used by date” of June 14, 2018 through June 14, 2019.

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps between 12 to 72 hours after eating food contaminated by the bacteria, according to the IDPH. Symptoms typically last between 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.

But for some, diarrhea and related dehydration can be so severe that hospitalization is needed, particularly among the elderly, infants, and people with compromised immune systems. There have been 24 hospitalizations and no deaths stemming to this outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“If you have recently eaten the cereal and experience diarrhea, fever, and cramps, contact your health care provider,” Shah advised in a statement Friday.