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Food and Drug Administration officials said they were investigating reports from more than 100 users who told the agency they had fallen ill after eating Lucky Charms cereal recently.
The reports come after thousands of people complained on a consumer website saying they had experienced nausea, vomiting and diarrhea after eating Lucky Charms.
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“The agency is currently reviewing and investigating these reports,” an FDA spokesman said.
General Mills Inc., which produces the grain, said it was working with the FDA on the issue. The company said it had conducted an in-depth internal investigation that found no evidence of illness related to the consumption of Lucky Charms. “We encourage consumers to share any concerns directly with General Mills,” a spokeswoman said.
FILE – General Mills’ Lucky Charms cereal boxes are seen on a shelf at Costco’s warehouse in Robinson, Pennsylvania, Thursday, May 14, 2020. On Saturday, April 16, 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration said investigates Lucky Cha (AP Photo / Gene J. Puskar, File) / AP Newsroom)
General Mills and the FDA have not withdrawn cereals, which are one of the company’s best brands.
“The FDA takes seriously all reports of possible food counterfeiting, which can also cause illness or injury,” the FDA spokeswoman said.
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It is rare for people to get sick from eating cereal because the cereal is baked, which usually kills pathogens, food safety experts say. Cereals can be contaminated after they are baked, when the sandwiches are glazed with a sugar coating, for example, or when they are packaged.
Patrick Quaid, founder of the 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 fell ill soon after eating Lucky Charms. Most of the reports have come in the last two weeks and represent the most complaints the decade-long website has ever received about a product, he said.
General Mills is an American multinational producer and retailer of branded consumer foods sold through retail stores. Reuters / Jim Young
Consumers’ reports of Lucky Charms-related illnesses to the FDA jumped last week after news reports from the New York Post and USA Today about complaints on Mr. Quaid’s website.
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Some users who report their illnesses on Mr. Quaid’s and the FDA’s website tell Mr. Quaid that the FDA has contacted them to test their cereals, he said. The FDA declined to comment.
FDA headquarters in Washington. (iStock / iStock)
Christine Johnson, who lives in Lexington, Kentucky, said she fed Lucky Charms to her two-year-old daughter about a week ago and her daughter fell ill in a few days. “When she started to feel better, I gave her good luck talismans because I thought she would eat it, because it’s her favorite treat. And she got sick again, “said Ms. Johnson.
Ticker Security Last Modified Change% GIS GENERAL MILLS INC. 70.91 + 0.23 + 0.33%
General Mills declined to comment further.
In recent years, consumer groups have called the FDA slow in responding to outbreaks of foodborne illness. Last month, the FDA received complaints from Consumer Reports, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and other organizations for handling contaminated infant milk earlier this year after two babies died.
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The FDA said it could not comment on the schedule of infant food withdrawals, but would review it once the investigation into the epidemic was complete. In December, the agency said it had expanded its rapid response team to help resolve outbreaks faster.
In 2018, an outbreak of salmonella traced to Kellogg Co.’s Honey Smacks porridge affected at least 135 people in 36 states. An investigation by food regulators found that the Kellogg factory has signed a contract to produce Honey Smacks, there are unhygienic conditions. Regulators said the owners of this Wisconsin-based Kerry Inc. plant found salmonella on production lines and in a cereal dyeing room. At the time, Kellogg said it had stopped contracting with the cereal factory, and Kerry said it had improved the sanitation of the equipment and intensified training.
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Cereals can also be contaminated by packaging. In 2010, Kellogg withdrew 28 million cans of Froot Loops and other brands after consumers complained about the taste and smell, and some people said they got sick after eating it. Kellogg said he found that the problem was elevated levels of food packaging in the lining of the cereal box.
Write to Annie Gasparo at annie.gasparro@wsj.com
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