Lucky Charms’ potential link to illnesses probed by FDA, General Mills

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed Saturday it is investigating Lucky Charms after fielding more than 100 customer complaints of illness after eating the cereal.

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Thousands of people have complained on a consumer website, saying they have experienced nausea, vomiting and diarrhea after eating Lucky Charms, The Wall Street Journal reported.

“The FDA takes seriously any reports of possible adulteration of a food that may also cause illnesses or injury,” the agency said in a prepared statement.

Minneapolis-based General Mills Inc., which makes the cereal, said it is working with the FDA, but noted than an internal investigation found no evidence of illnesses linked to Lucky Charms consumption.

Neither the company nor the FDA has issued a recall of the cereal, which is one of the company’s top brands.

According to the Journal, breakfast cereal rarely results in foodborne illness because the baking process typically kills pathogens, but the products can be contaminated after baking, such as when glazes are added or during packaging.

Patrick Quade, founder of the consumer website iwaspoisoned.com, told the newspaper that his site has fielded nearly 2,500 reports to date from people nationwide who said they got sick soon after eating Lucky Charms.

-- The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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