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Update: Malt-O-Meal Puffed Rice Cereal Salmonella Agona Outbreak

By Pritzker | Ruohonen

According to the CDC, 21 people in 12 states that have been infected with the same genetic fingerprint of Salmonella Agona. A federal and state investigation of the Salmonella Agona outbreak that includes interviews of persons with Salmonella Agona infections and comparison of DNA fingerprints suggests that cereal from Malt-O-Meal unsweetened Puffed Rice Cereals and unsweetened Puffed Wheat Cereals is likely related to these illnesses.

Investigation of the Salmonella Outbreak: DNA Fingerprints

On March 24, 2008, Malt-O-Meal Company, a Minnesota cereal manufacturer, detected the presence of Salmonella during routine food testing. 11 days later, on April 5, 2008, Malt-O-Meal initiated a recall of unsweetened Puffed Rice Cereals and unsweetened Puffed Wheat Cereals produced during the past 12 months at the plant in Minnesota where the food was tested. Read more about the Malt-O-Meal recall.

On April 7, 2008, PulseNet, the molecular subtyping network for foodborne disease surveillance, independently notified CDC's OutbreakNet Team of a cluster of human Salmonella Agona isolates with an indistinguishable PFGE pattern (outbreak pattern) in multiple states. (OutbreakNet is the network of epidemiologists and other public health officials, facilitated by CDC, who investigate outbreaks of foodborne, waterborne, and other enteric illnesses nationwide)

On April 10, 2008, CDC was informed by several state health departments that patients infected with Salmonella Agona with the outbreak pattern had eaten Malt-O-Meal cereal products. On April 11, the Minnesota State Public Health Department confirmed that the Salmonella isolate isolated from the Minnesota plant was Salmonella Agona and had the same indistinguishable PFGE pattern as the isolates from ill humans. Additionally, the Delaware Public Health Laboratory isolated Salmonella Agona from an opened bag of Puffed Rice cereal produced by the same company.

This investigation is ongoing. And because this outbreak involves dry cereal, which can be stored for months, there may be several more laboratory-confirmed cases of Salmonella associated with the recalled Malt-O-Meal unsweetened Puffed Rice Cereal and unsweetened Puffed Wheat Cereal.

The Malt-O-Meal cereal recall involves unsweetened puffed rice and unsweetened puffed wheat cereals produced with “Best If Used By” codes between April 8, 2008 (coded as “APR0808”) and March 18, 2009 (coded as “MAR1809”). If you have any of the following brands of unsweetened puffed rice and puffed wheat cereal, check the “Best if Used By” date to see if it is part of the recall (a detailed list of recalled cereals can be found on the Malt-O-Meal website, http://www.malt-o-meal.com/recallinfo/):

• Malt-O-Meal Puffed Rice
• Malt-O-Meal Puffed Wheat
• Acme Puffed Rice
• Acme Puffed Wheat
• America’s Choice Puffed Wheat
• Food Club Puffed Rice
• Food Club Puffed Wheat
• Giant Puffed Rice – Bag
• Giant Puffed Wheat – Bag
• Hannaford Puffed Rice
• Hannaford Puffed Wheat – Bag
• Jewel Puffed Rice
• Jewel Puffed Wheat
• Laura Lynn Puffed Rice
• Laura Lynn Puffed Wheat
• Pathmark (Wal-Mart) Puffed Rice
• Pathmark (Wal-Mart) Puffed Wheat
• Shaws Puffed Rice
• Shaws Puffed Wheat – Bag
• Shoprite Puffed Rice
• Shoprite Puffed Wheat
• Top’s Puffed Rice – Bag
• Top’s Puffed Wheat – Bag
• Weis Quality Puffed Rice
• Weis Quality Puffed Wheat

Full post as published by Food Poisoning Law Blog on April 29, 2008 (boomark / email).