Food and Drug Administration officials said they were looking into reports from more than 100 consumers who told the agency they got sick after eating Lucky Charms cereal recently. The reports come after thousands of people protested on a consumer website, saying they had nausea, vomiting and diarrhea after eating Lucky Charms. GET FOX BUSINESS IN ENGINE BY CLICKING HERE “The agency is currently investigating and investigating these allegations,” said an FDA spokesman. General Mills Inc., which makes cereals, said it was working with the FDA on the matter. The company said it conducted a thorough internal investigation that found no evidence of Lucky Charms-related illnesses. “We encourage consumers to share their concerns directly with General Mills,” said a spokeswoman. FILE – General Mills Lucky Charms cereal boxes appear on a shelf in a Costco warehouse in Robinson Township, Pa., Thursday, May 14, 2020. On Saturday, April 16, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it was investigating Lucky Cha ((AP Photo / Gene J. Puskar, Archive) / AP Newsroom) General Mills and the FDA have not recalled cereals, which are one of the company’s top brands. “The FDA is taking seriously reports of possible food spoilage that could also cause illness or injury,” said an FDA spokeswoman. COMPLETE FOOD SALAD DRESSING RECOVED FOR ALLERGY PROBLEMS It is rare for people to get sick from eating breakfast cereals because the cereals are baked, which usually kills pathogenic microorganisms, said food safety experts. Cereals can become contaminated after baking, when the puff pastry is candied with a sugar coating, for example, or when packaged. Patrick Quade, founder of consumer website iwaspoisoned.com, said that so far this year his site has received nearly 2,500 reports from people across the country who said they got sick shortly after consuming Lucky Charms. The vast majority of reports have come in the last two weeks and are the most complaints a site has ever received in a decade about a single product, he said. General Mills is an American multinational manufacturer and trader of branded consumer food sold through retail stores. REUTERS / Jim Young Consumer reports of Lucky Charms-related illnesses to the FDA rose last week following news articles from the New York Post and USA Today about complaints on Mr Quade’s website. FERRERO DISCOVERS SOME CHOCOLATE PRODUCTS FOR SALMONEL PEOPLE Some consumers who reported their illnesses on Mr. Quade’s website and the FDA told Mr. Quade that the FDA contacted them about testing their cereals, he said. The FDA declined to comment. The FDA is headquartered in Washington DC. (iStock / iStock) Kristin Johnson, who lives in Lexington, Ky., Said she fed her two-year-old daughter about a week ago and her daughter became ill for a few days. “When she started to feel better, I gave her a lucky fortune because I thought this was something she would eat as it is her favorite treat. And she got sick again,” Ms Johnson said. Ticker Security Last Change% GIS GENERAL MILLS INC. 70.91 +0.23 + 0.33% General Mills declined to comment further. In recent years, consumer advocacy groups have called the FDA slow to respond to cases of foodborne illness. The FDA received complaints last month from Consumer Reports, the Center for Science in the Public Interest and other organizations about handling the recall of contaminated baby milk earlier this year after two babies died. SKIPPY DISCOVERS PEANUT JUGS THAT MAY CONTAIN METAL CRUSHES The FDA said it could not comment on the timing of the baby milk recall, but that it would review it once the epidemic investigation was completed. In December, the agency said it had expanded its rapid response team to help resolve outbreaks more quickly. In 2018, a salmonella outbreak detected in Kellogg Co. Honey Smacks cereals infected at least 135 people in 36 states. An investigation by food regulators found that the Kellogg factory had contracted to make Honey Smacks with unhealthy conditions. Regulators say the owners of the plant, Kerry Inc. based in Wisconsin, they had found salmonella on production lines and in a cereal dressing room. At the time, Kellogg said he had stopped contracting with the factory to produce his cereal, and Kerry said he had improved equipment hygiene and improved training. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT FOX BUSINESS Cereals can also be contaminated by packaging. In 2010, Kellogg recalled 28 million boxes of Froot Loops and other brands after consumers complained about their taste and smell, and some people said they got sick after eating it. Kellogg said she found the problem was the elevated levels of a food packaging substance in the cereal box lining. Write to Annie Gasparro at [email protected]
