Producer of recalled Honey Smacks kept secret amid outbreak

(Food Safety News) – As public health officials in other countries urge consumers to throw away a Kellogg’s cereal because it’s linked to a Salmonella outbreak in the United States, the company that actually produced the cereal has not been named.

The Kellogg’s recall notice says it is assisting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with an investigation to find the source of the Salmonella. The company says the recalled Honey Smacks were made by contractor, not a Kellogg’s production facility.

Neither Kellogg nor the FDA has identified the manufacturer of the cereal. It is not known if the manufacturer is continuing to operate. It is also not known if the plant produced any other Kellogg cereals or products for any other companies during the time the recalled Honey Smacks were made.

Food Safety officials in Mexico posted a recall notice for Honey Smacks with the same identifying codes as those reported on the cereal recalled in the United States. The Kellogg Co. division in Mexico posted the same recall notice, as did the U.S. headquarters of the iconic cereal company.

The Ministry of Health in Belize issued a public warning urging people to “not consume any Kellogg’s Honey Smacks” until further notice.

“At this time, the Ministry is uncertain of the availability of this product, but the Public Health Department is on heightened surveillance for the presence of this cereal and batch series in Belize,” according to a report by Breaking Belize News.

Kellogg reported the recalled cereal sent to Belize has the same identifying codes as reported for the U.S. and Mexico. The same codes are on Honey Smacks under recall in Costa Rica, Guatemala, the Caribbean, Guam, Tahiti and Saipan.

As of the most recent outbreak update posted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which was released June 15, at lest 73 people across 31 states are confirmed with Salmonella infections. Of they, 24 have been so sick they had to be admitted to hospitals.

Regardless where they were distributed, the recalled Honey Smacks can be identified by the following packaging information.