Honey Smacks still on shelves 2 months after salmonella recall

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Consumer group calls for FDA action

U.S. PIRG

PHILADELPHIA —  Some stores are still stocking Honey Smacks more than two months after a massive recall due to Salmonella contamination that now has poisoned 130 individuals in 36 states, according to  the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The latest FDA update includes 30 more sick people from three previously unaffected states:  Delaware, Maine and Minnesota.

“It is unacceptable that anyone can still purchase contaminated cereal months after a nationwide recall. And it is unacceptable that the FDA will not disclose which stores are still selling potentially Salmonella-laced cereal,” said Viveth Karthikeyan, U.S PIRG Consumer Watchdog Associate. “This is a completely preventable public health threat. If the FDA can’t enforce recalls, we need to revamp our national recall system.”

The announcement follows a routine investigation in July that found grocery stores and retailers still selling cereal from the infected batch. While the FDA knows stores are still selling contaminated products, it lacks an enforcement mechanism to remove the threat. Instead, the agency simply issued a “reminder” that recalled products were being sold.

U.S. PIRG is calling on the FDA to notify consumers which stores have failed to swiftly remove contaminated products from the shelves, to create financial consequences for failure to abide by the recall, and to implement new technology to more quickly notify the public directly about contaminated food.  

“With all of the modern technology and communication systems we have, it should be easier to get these dangerous products off the market. In 2018, no one should have to worry about being poisoned by store-bought food, especially by a product marketed to kids,” Karthikeyan said.

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