General Mills is reported to recall 1.8 million boxes of Cheerios which includes regular Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios which may prove harmful to people with wheat allergies and celiac disease as they were labelled gluten-free but actually contain wheat.
As reported in CBS News, General Mills senior vice president and president of the cereal division, Jim Murphy, has issued an apology to the public saying, "I am embarrassed and truly sorry to announce today that we are recalling boxes of Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios produced on several dates at our Lodi, California facility."
A wheat contamination in the cereals which are sold as gluten-free products has spurred this voluntary recall.
The contamination was reported to have occurred last July during the four-day production of classic Cheerios and thirteen-day production of Honey Nut Cheerios at Lodi, California facility. Meanwhile, other General Mills production plants were said to be free of the contamination.
The contamination was reported to have started when the facility lost rail service. General Mills said this was an isolated event and a result of human error.
"We sincerely apologize to the gluten-free community and to anyone who may have been impacted," Murphy said.
To address the contamination, General Mills said it is instituting additional flour-hanlding protocols across all of its facilities to make sure contamination will not happen again.
"Please know we'll be working even harder to earn back your trust," Murphy added. "We sincerely apologize to the gluten-free community and to anyone who may have been impacted."
Products that contain wheat can cause illness or severe reactions to individuals with wheat allergies or celiac disease. Wheat can also cause illness or discomfort to people with gluten intolerance. According to National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, about 1 percent of the population is affected by these allergies.
Recently, General Mills has been changing its brands to reach out to consumers who are seeking artificial-free, organic and healthier products. Most of the U.S. consumers have shifted to healthier breakfast alternatives in recent years. Gluten-free cereal is one of General Mills' moves to keep these consumers.
"We are not sure how costly the recall will be," he said. "Our biggest concern is over reputational risk, because the new gluten-free Cheerios just launched."
Concerns about General Mills recall of their Cheerios products can call their Consumer Services at 1-800-775-8370 or you may visit the company's website.
