13 hours ago
Urgent recall for popular cereal that may contain pieces of METAL
Thousands of boxes of cereal have been recalled over fears that pieces of metal in the food could cause painful health problems for anyone who eats them.
Breakfast foods giant Post issued the recall on May 28 for their Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, which the US Food and Drug Administration has now declared as a 'Class II' recall alert.
That means the recalled product could lead to 'temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.'
In terms of ingesting metal, the damage can vary from mild to severe, with victims cracking and chipping teeth or potentially suffering pain and punctures in their stomach or intestines.
The recall specifically impacts over 5,300 boxes of Post's Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds, sold in 48-ounce boxes with two bags inside.
The cereal was shipped to Sam's Club stores in California and Colorado and had a UPC code of 8 84912-01428 3.
Shoppers should check to see if their cereal has the 'Best If Used By' Dates APR0926 RCA or APR1026 RCA printed on the box.
If anyone has these boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats, the FDA and Post are urging customers to throw them out or return them to the same store for a refund or replacement.
Despite the warning, Post insists that none of the contaminated cereals 'reached store shelves.'
Still, the FDA designated the metal contamination a Class II recall on June 12 out of an abundance of caution.
This means the threat to public safety is only one level lower than the most severe recall, a Class I, meaning that the affected product could cause serious harm or even death.
Post and the FDA did not specify what kind of metal pieces were found in the 5,376 boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats, leaving it unclear if metal shavings, large fragments, or sharpened shards made their way into the cereal.
Consuming metal may also cause other painful injuries, including cuts to the mouth, tongue, or throat.
There is also a potential choking hazard, especially if the metal fragments are larger and the cereal is eaten by a child.
The FDA has not received any reports of any injuries tied to this recall. The boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds from Sam's Club are the only Post cereal affected by this recall at the moment.
Post Consumer Brands also makes popular cereals like Raisin Bran, Bran Flakes, Golden Crisp, Grape-Nuts, Honeycombs, Alpha-Bits, PEBBLES, and Malt-O-Meal.
When it comes to their breakfast foods, a recall from Post is a very rare occurrence.
In fact, only Malt-O-Meal has been involved in any major health recalls over the last two decades.
The wide variety of puffed rice cereals were recalled by the FDA in 1998, 2008, and 2009. Each time, inspectors found the cereals had been contaminated with salmonella.
However, it's important to note that all three recalls came before Post officially acquired the Malt-O-Meal Company in 2015.
The last major food recall involving breakfast cereals came in 2024 when Quaker Oats was forced to pull 43 different granola products due to salmonella contamination.
Honey Bunches of Oats was first launched by Post Cereals in 1989. Vernon Herzing, a Post employee, is credited with creating the popular cereal while he was at home mixing various Post cereals into a unique blend.
His daughter, Kimberly, assisted in taste-testing various combinations at home, helping to refine the recipe.
After three years of development, the cereal was named with input from Post brand manager Eva Page, who suggested 'Honey Bunches of Oats' to reflect its combination of granola, oat, and honey.
