FDA Investigating Lucky Charms Cereal After Illness Reports

Facts

• The US Food and Drug Administration has started an investigation into whether Lucky Charms cereal is making people sick after thousands of consumers complained of gastrointestinal issues.¹
• Hundreds of consumers have sent their complaints to the FDA, and more than 3,000 people have submitted reports of suspected food poisoning to the private consumer food safety platform 'iwaspoisoned.com' after eating the cereal. The complaints include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.²
• The manufacturer of Lucky Charms, General Mills Inc., said the company has conducted its own internal review but has not found any connection between the reports and their product.³
• According to the CDC, foodborne illnesses related to cereal are uncommon, but not unheard of. In 2018, Kellogg's recalled Honey Smacks cereal in 36 states in connection with a salmonella outbreak.²

Sources: ¹New York Times, ²Washington Post and ³NPR Online News.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by New York Times. Food safety is General Mills' top priority. The company takes these consumer concerns very seriously, even when reported via a third-party website. So far, General Mills hasn't found any evidence linking Lucky Charms to illness.
• Narrative B, as provided by Daily Wire. The stream of reports of stomach illness from coast to coast are remarkably consistent. Any reports of foodborne illness is very concerning, and FDA will investigate to the fullest extent.
• Cynical narrative, as provided by NBC Chicago. Let's reserve our judgement. Iwaspoisoned.com is a website where users report food illnesses that are unverified claims. Only 3 reports GI issues from Lucky Charms were officially reported to the FDA itself in 2021. As part of its investigation, the agency may pay a visit to those who made the unverified claims.