Honey Smacks Salmonella Cases In Ohio, FDA Issues Warning

Two and a half months after Honey Smacks cereal was voluntarily recalled due to salmonella concerns, the number of sick continues to rise...and the FDA is clearly exasperated.

"Get. Rid. Of. The. HoneySmacks. If they're still in your cabinet, toss them!" someone at the agency wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. That came shortly after another Tweet urged people to "seriously" get rid of the cereal.

Here's why the agency is frustrated: when the recall of Honey Smacks was issued, more than 70 people in the U.S. had been stricken with salmonella. That number has nearly doubled to 130 confirmed infections in 34 states, despite FDA warnings. Ohio currently has two cases of salmonella connected to the cereal.

Click here to see the map of states included in the outbreak and the number of cases in each state.

If you have the recalled cereal you are advised to throw it away or return it to the store for a refund. The FDA also warns that consumers should not buy the cereal if they see it on shelves, because some stores are still offering the contaminated product.

The recall covers 15.3 oz. and 23 oz. packages of Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal with 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.

Consuming products contaminated with salmonella can result in serious illness, health experts warn. It can also produce serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals infected with salmonella can suffer fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, it can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.

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Image via FDA