The FDA and General Mills are investigating Lucky Charms following a surge in reports of illness linked to the cereal, a report says

• Some people have reported feeling unwell after eating Lucky Charms.

• Manufacturer General Mills told WSJ it has found no evidence and is “thoroughly investigating” the matter.”

• The FDA has launched an investigation after receiving 231 complaints about the cereal, the WSJ reported.

The manufacturer of breakfast cereal brand Lucky Charms says it is investigating reports that have linked its product to people feeling ill and hasn’t found any proof that the foodstuff is responsible, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Consumer goods giant General Mills told the Journal that it hadn’t found any evidence of illness linked to the cereal, a popular choice for children which pairs crunchy oat pieces with small, brightly-colored marshmallows. It follows a surge in online reports of people linking consumption of the product to symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

The paper said that the Food and Drug Administration had received 231 complaints of illnesses from consumers who had recently eaten Lucky Charms, citing the FDA’s foodborne illness outbreak investigations page and a person familiar with the matter.

The FDA on Wednesday added an unnamed “dry cereal” to the list of food and drink products it was investigating, and which currently shows it has logged 231 cases. The page also indicates that the FDA has initiated an on-site inspection of the firm’s production facilities, which includes reviewing operational processes and collecting samples. The FDA hasn’t started analyzing samples or announced a recall.

“The FDA is aware of consumer complaints regarding illnesses associated with Lucky Charms cereal and is currently investigating these complaints,” a spokesperson told Insider. “The FDA takes seriously any reports of possible adulteration of a food that may also cause illnesses or injury.”

“We are thoroughly investigating this matter and fully cooperating with the FDA,” a General Mills spokesperson told The Journal, adding on Twitter that the company had investigated its manufacturing facilities.

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The FDA told Insider that it was investigating the “hundreds” of reports related to Lucky Charms it had received in 2022. NBC reported that the FDA had only received three complaints about the cereal in 2021.

The Journal reported that General Mills had sent questionnaires to some affected customers, asking whether the cereal had had an unusual taste or odor, if the packaging had any holes, and how soon after eating Lucky Charms the symptoms appeared.

General Mills did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.

Website iwaspoisoned.com, which allows consumers to flag symptoms they’ve experienced after eating food products, says more than 4,500 people have reported feeling ill after eating Lucky Charms. On the site, people have listed their main symptoms as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Dozens of people have posted tweets listing similar symptoms. General Mills has responded to some, telling them to get in touch with the company and share more information on their experience.

Patrick Quad, founder and CEO of iwaspoisoned.com, told NBC earlier this month that though most of the reports relating to Lucky Charms were from April 2022, complaints about the cereal started trending on the site in late 2021. He said it was the biggest surge of reports related to a single product in the site’s 13-year history.

Around 16% of General Mills’ 2021 revenues came from sales of its cereal products, which include Cheerios, Cookie Crisp, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

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