More than 1,300 people have complained to a website that tracks the foodborne illness caused by the popular Lucky Charms with candy-like marshmallows.
The large number of reports prompted the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct an investigation, according to the site: Iwaspoisoned.com.
Earlier this month, when more than 600 reports came in, website founder Patrick Quad said it was an unprecedented level of complaints for a single consumer product, according to Consumer Reports. With the growth of media coverage, so did the number of reports to the site.
Reports continue to pour into the site daily, with customers reporting similar symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, gas, and cramps soon after eating their favorite bowl of cereal. Some people note that symptoms stop in subsequent days if they stop taking the pills, others report that they got sick while taking Lucky Charms while other members of their family did not get sick when they took other General Mills pills.
The reports have not been independently confirmed. But the site has a history of correctly identifying problems with the food supply before health officials, including an outbreak: at the Chipotle Mexican Grill in Simi Valley, California, in 2015; Applebee’s in Michigan in 2016; A melting pot in Tacoma, Washington, in 2017; and Jimmy Jones in Wisconsin in 2017.
The website has a note on its homepage about the grain issue, stating that the trend began in late 2021.
“We recommend that anyone who has become ill after eating Lucky Charms, report it, and keep the remaining product for testing,” the site said. “We will pass the testing procedures on to everyone who reports their case.”
FDA officials said Consumer Reports It can initiate inspections of potentially affected facilities, collect samples of products, and contact people who have fallen ill. But the agency declined to confirm whether any of these specific measures had been taken so far.
The FDA has its own reporting system, which only received three reports related to Lucky Charms and only one was similar to the type of reports the third-party site was receiving, according to Food and Wine magazine.
“Food safety is our top priority,” said Andrea Williamson, a spokesperson for General Mills Food and wine. “Following a thorough internal investigation, we have found no evidence that these complaints are attributable to our products. We encourage consumers to raise any concerns directly with General Mills to ensure they can be addressed appropriately.”
The iwaspoisoned.com The website says its mission is to help protect the public from foodborne illnesses that affect 1 in 6 Americans each year.
“Large outbreaks can be fatal and each year these diseases lead to an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths,” the site said. “Your report makes a difference.”
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