Salmonella Link to Malt-o-Meal Recall Probed
The recalled cereal was produced in Northfield. Health officials are looking into a poisoning case i Minnesota to identify if it is linked to the Malt-O-Meal's recall of unsweetened Puff Rice and unsweetened Puffed Wheat cereals from its Northfield plants.
So far there have been 21 other cases of salmonella poisoning from 13 other states that may be linked, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
Malt-O-Meal had announced on April 5, 2008, that the Puffed Rice cereals were being recalled which had been produced in the last 12 months at the Northfield plant.
The recalled products have 'best if used by' dates of April 8, 2008, to March 18, 2009.
After a routine safety testing detected salmonella in a product produced on March 24, the company launched the voluntary recall.
State health officials have asked that anyone who experienced symptoms of salmonella after eating the Malt-O-Meal cereals to contact their health care provider.
Symptoms of salmonella include fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramps. They usually appear within 12 to 72 hours after exposure.
Salmonella infections typically resolve in five to seven days, but in 20 percent of cases can require hospitilization.
Rarely, in the elderly or those with weakened immune systems, it can lead to death.
