How does cereal get contaminated with Salmonella? The Kellogg’s Honey Smacks Salmonella outbreak has a lot of people asking that question. Usually, people associate eggs, poultry, and produce with Salmonella, not processed cereal.
Yet, this outbreak has sickened 73 people in 31 states, 24 of whom required hospitalization, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Kellogg’s has issued a recall for the cereal and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC are advising consumers to avoid eating Honey Smacks cereal sold in any size package or with any ‘best if used by’ date.”
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Those sickened ranges in age from less than one to 87 years old and report onset-of-illness dates from March 3, 2018, to May 28, 2018. By state, the case count by state is as follows: 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).
An FDA inspection of the Kellogg’s facility that manufactures Honey Smacks cereal is underway so health officials don’t yet know the specifics of how Salmonella bacteria entered the process. But, a look at previous food poisoning outbreaks linked to cereal may provide some clues.
Malt-O-Meal Toasted Oats Salmonella Outbreak 1998
For example, in 1998 a Salmonella Agona outbreak linked to Malt-O-Meal Toasted Oats cereal sickened 209 people in 11 states. According to the FDA, the source of the outbreak was identified as contaminated water in the cereal processing plant. That year the plant was also renovated and the contaminated water was used to mix the mortar used for the renovation. For ten years, the Salmonella Agona lay dormant in the mortar. Then, another renovation released the bacteria into the plant and another outbreak occurred.
Malt-O-Meal Puffed Rice Salmonella Outbreak 2008
In 2008, another Salmonella Agona outbreak occurred at the same plant, this time linked to Puffed Rice and Puffed Wheat Malt-O-Meal cereals. Federal officials used whole-genome sequencing to find the genetic fingerprint of the outbreak strain and discovered it was a match to the 1998 outbreak strain. This outbreak sickened 28 people in 15 states. By state the case count was: Colorado (1), Delaware (2), Illinois (1), Maine (4), Massachusetts (2), Michigan (1), Minnesota (1), North Dakota (1), New Hampshire (2), New Jersey (5), New York (3), Ohio (1), Pennsylvania (2), Rhode Island (1), and Vermont (1).
Raw Almond Salmonella Outbreak 2004
In 2004, a Salmonella outbreak linked to raw almonds sickened 29 people in 11 states and Canada. Some of the contaminated almonds made their way into museli cereals.
Contaminated Spices, multiple years
According to the study, Foodborne illness outbreaks from microbial contaminants in spices, 1973–2010, 14 outbreaks in North America and Europe during that time period were linked to contaminated spices sickened 1,946 people hospitalizing 128 of them. Two people died. The study was published in the December 2013 edition of Food Microbiology. The study researchers found that “consumption of ready-to-eat foods prepared with spices applied after the final food manufacturing pathogen reduction step accounted for 70% of the illnesses.”