Latest news with #Ragù
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Honey Smacks Recall That Shook Cereal Fans Across The US
Included in our list of the biggest food recalls of 2018, Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal was once the subject of a massive recall that affected approximately 135 consumers spread out over 36 states. The recalled cereal also made its way outside the contiguous U.S. and was circulated in limited amounts to Guatemala, the Caribbean, Guam, Mexico, Tahiti, Costa Rica, and the Northern Mariana Islands. According to the FDA, reports of consumer illness linked to the cereal spurred on an investigation, which turned up Salmonella bacteria at the third-party manufacturing plant where Honey Smacks were made. Salmonellosis frequently results from the consumption of contaminated raw food (like cookie dough, for example), but the bacterial infection can also be caused by surface contamination and improper food handling. In healthy people, symptoms of salmonellosis are often similar to the common stomach flu. However, older adults, young children, pregnant people, and anyone with a compromised immune system face a chance of more serious, potentially life-threatening complications. Of those affected by the Honey Smacks Salmonella outbreak, 34 required hospitalization, but fortunately, no loss of life was reported. Read more: 17 Hotel Breakfast Buffets Ranked From Worst To Best The issues that lead to food recalls often involve errors and oversights that aren't immediately caught by manufacturing staff. For example, a recall of Ragù pasta sauce in 2019 occurred after the product was discovered to contain plastic pieces, which likely resulted from a manufacturing defect or error. The Kellogg Honey Smacks recall is unique in that Kerry, the manufacturing company producing the cereal on behalf of Kellogg, was aware of positive Salmonella tests but took no action to address the issue. Instead, Ravi Kumar Chermala, Kerry's director of quality assurance at the time, worked to keep Kellogg in the dark regarding the contamination and even changed the internal monitoring process to prevent more positive test results. Because of these actions, Kerry received a misdemeanor charge of distributing adulterated cereal and was fined $19.228 million. Chermala was charged with three misdemeanor counts for the same crime, to which he pled guilty. However, it's not clear whether or not Chermala was sentenced, and if so, what kind of sentence he received. Carelessness in the food manufacturing industry can easily lead to major problems, but thanks to the quick actions of companies like Kellogg and overseeing federal agencies, consumers can rest assured that their food should be safe. Read the original article on Mashed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Name Brand That Had To Recall More Than 216,000 Pounds Of Sauce Off Store Shelves
In a battle of store-bought pasta sauces, we found that Ragù brand sauce handily bested Prego, thanks to the former's savory taste, pleasing texture, and variety of flavors. Ragù, which was developed from an Italian family recipe and kicked off commercial production in 1946, is a grocery store staple that can save home chefs lots of time in the kitchen. Despite its long history of success, the brand has run into some issues the along the way. This includes a recall that took place in 2019 over concerns about plastic fragments found in select jars of Ragù. While many food recalls are initiated by customer complaints, a representative for Mizkan America (the parent company of Ragù as well as other brands like Bertolli and Nakano) told Consumer Reports awareness of the issue resulted from "[the company's] normal course of operations and quality checks." Three sauce varieties were affected by the recall, including Old World Style Meat, Old World Style Traditional, and Chunky Tomato Garlic & Onion. Overall, 216,202 pounds of sauce (for a total of 9,130 cases) were involved in the recall. Thankfully, the incident was contained, as all affected products were manufactured between June 4 and June 8, 2019. No injuries were reported. Read more: 14 Canned Tomato Brands, Ranked Worst To Best As illustrated by the 15 most deadly recalled foods in U.S. history, bacteria like Listeria (responsible for the Boar's Head recall of 2024) and Salmonella (impacting multiple cantaloupe brands in 2023) are often a factor when it comes to consumer risks. However, the presence of foreign objects like glass, metal, or in the case of the 2019 Ragù recall, plastic, can also be highly problematic. Mizkan America never explained how the foreign object contamination happened, and it's not clear whether the company has ever specified the source. It is worth noting that the National Institutes of Health cites plastic contamination as a common cause of food recalls, as the material is estimated to be a factor in one of ten recalls occurring since 2003. As for the dangers of plastic in food, larger fragments can pose a choking risk or potentially cause internal injuries. While significantly less serious, plastic pieces can also cause dental issues and injuries if a person bites down on them. Plastic contamination doesn't typically rise to the level of a Class I FDA recall, the most serious classification and most likely to cause substantial health effects, but that doesn't mean these issues shouldn't be taken seriously. Fortunately for Ragù and its parent company, the 2019 recall was relatively minor. Read the original article on Mashed.
