The Center for Disease and FDA announced a defective product the recall of two breakfast cereals manufactured by Malt-O-Meal. The cereals “Puffed Rice’ and “Puffed Wheat’ were found to be contaminated by salmonella.
Salmonella is bacteria that can cause diarrheal illness in humans. These microscopic living creatures pass from the feces of people or animals, to other people or other animals. Salmonella has been known to cause illness for over 100 years. People with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness and other personal injury.
A hard working and serious, American scientist named Salmon, for whom the nasty little microbe is named, discovered the bacterium. Why such a learned man of science would want to give his name to this illness which comes from feces is another story. For more tid bits regarding salmonella click on the CDC website.
The defective products were distributed nationally under the Malt-O-Meal brand name, as well as private labels including Acme, America’s Choice, Food Club, Giant, Pathmark, Shaw’s, ShopRite, Tops and Weis Quality. The cereal bags have “best if used by” dates from April 8, 2008 (coded as APR0808), through March 18, 2009 (coded as MAR1809). If you have purchased such a box, you are advised to throw them out, and retailers have been told to remove the cereals from their shelves.
If you or someone you loved have become ill from salmonella and believe it may have been caused by this cereal, click here for further information. We will continue to post information on the illness , so check back regularly for any new developments.