Kellogg's Corn Flakes Cocoa recalled due to choking hazard and tooth damage

A new notice has appeared on the Ministry of Health regarding the recall of some cereal packages. These packages may contain lumps of cereal that are resistant to softening in milk. It's about the product Kellogg's Corn Flakes Cocoa sold in supermarkets, which have been recalled.

The Kellanova company, owner of the Kellogg's brand, as per rule, notified the Ministry of the voluntary withdrawal of the product from Italian supermarkets on 22 May. The recall procedure is in fact totally voluntary in all countries where the product is distributed. This is then followed by the official communication on the Ministry website.

Recalled cereals, the reasons and the risks

According to the note, a small percentage of packages may have hard lumps, which pose a risk of damage to teeth or choking for consumers. The Ministry of Health stated that the risk remains very low, however, it urged consumers to check their pantries and “dispose of any packaging of Kellogg's Corn Flakes Cocoa”, then to “contact consumer services through the official website or toll-free number for the refund procedure”.

Kellanova, the company that owns the Kellogg's brand, informed that, as required by law, a voluntary recall procedure for the Kellogg's Corn Flakes Cocoa product had already been initiated due to the identification of a possible quality defect.

In a statement, the company specifies that “it has found that a small percentage of packages may contain hard lumps of cereal that do not soften when consumed with milk. This means there is a low risk that these hard lumps could potentially cause damage to teeth or risk of suffocation. It should be noted that the voluntary recall concerns exclusively Kellogg's Cocoa Corn Flakes, a product on sale from January 2024, and does not impact in any way on other Kellogg's products”.

According to the alert published by the Ministry of Health, The batch number of the cereals was not reported subject to withdrawal. However, the identifying mark of the factory and manufacturer is that of Kellogg's Plant, located at Park RD, Trafford Park, Stretford, Manchester M32 (UK).

The products in question have a date of deadline set for 02/03 March 2025 and are sold in packs of 330g each. Consumers wishing to request a refund for cereals purchased and subject to the recall can obtain information on the company's website or contact the toll-free number 800 97 60 21. The same consumer service will also provide detailed information on the refund procedure to anyone who was in possession of the goods recalled from sale.

The withdrawal is therefore obvious, given the risk that ingesting one of these lumps that are hard not only for the teeth, but also for possible suffocation. While adults are able to swallow larger objects, even a very small piece that gets stuck could be fatal for children.

At the moment, no reports have been received regarding any inconveniences in Italy. As clarified to QuiFinanza by the company itself, “there has been no incident within the estimated risks in any of the countries in which the product is distributed. The voluntary procedure was requested by Kellanova precisely because of its attention to the quality and well-being of its consumers”.

The other products recalled

In recent days, several products have been recalled. Furthermore, several batches of another food had been removed from the market due to the risk of choking. We're talking about Magnum ice creamsrecalled due to the presence of metal and plastic splinters.

Among other products, there is also a salami from the brand “Ciccarelli Salumificio”, due to the presence of salmonella, a bacterium that can lead to serious health problems. Finally, also different formats of plastic dishes (plates, soups and desserts) from the brand Rey Plastic Shpk because its global migration is higher than permitted limits. This means that the product contains substances that migrate or transfer in quantities greater than those established by European legislation, specifically Article 3 of European Regulation No. 1935/2004.