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DHSS Press Release

Dr. Kara Odom Walker, Secretary
Jill Fredel, Director of Communications
302-255-9047, Pager 302-357-7498
Email: jill.fredel@delaware.gov

Date: June 15, 2018
DHSS-06-2018

DPH SHARES RECALL OF KELLOG'S HONEY SMACKS CEREAL LINKED TO MULTI-STATE SALMONELLA OUTBREAK

DOVER (June 15, 2018) � The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Mbandaka infections. The outbreak is being linked to Kellogg's Honey Smacks Cereals.

Seventy-three people from 31 states, including 24 who have been hospitalized, have reported becoming ill. While no cases have been identified in Delaware, out of an abundance of caution, the Division of Public Health (DPH) is sharing this information as most of our surrounding states on the East Coast have been affected. No deaths have been reported at this time.

The CDC reports that illnesses started on dates ranging from March 3, 2018, to May 28, 2018. On June 14, 2018, the Kellogg Company recalled 15.3-ounce and 23-ounce packages of Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal. 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.

Retailers should not serve or sell, recalled Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal. The CDC and DPH recommend the following actions for consumers who have recalled Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal:

Do not eat the recalled Kellogg's Honey Smack cereal.
Throw out the cereal or return it for a refund. You should do this even if someone in your household ate some and did not get sick.
If you store cereal in a container without the packaging and don't remember the brand or type, throw it away.
Thoroughly wash the container with warm, soapy water before using it again to remove harmful germs that could contaminate other food.

People get sick from Salmonella 12 to 72 hours after swallowing the germ and experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Most people recover within a week, but some illnesses can last longer and be more severe.

This investigation is ongoing and CDC will provide more information as it becomes available

If you have further questions about this outbreak, please call the CDC media line at (404) 639-3286. To report foodborne illness in Delaware, call (302) 744-1033 or 1-888-295-515.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person's spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit http://delawarerelay.com.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, and drink almost no sugary beverages.

DPH SHARES RECALL OF KELLOG'S HONEY SMACKS CEREAL LINKED TO MULTI-STATE SALMONELLA OUTBREAK

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