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Food Safety Works Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network

SAFEFOOD NEWS - Spring 1998 - Vol 2 / No. 3

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Multi-State Outbreak of Salmonella Agona

A multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Agona infection has been linked to Millville brand plain Toasted Oats cereal manufactured by Malt-O-Meal, Inc. This is the first time a commercial cereal product has been implicated in a Salmonella outbreak.

Eleven states (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Kansas, and West Virginia) reported an increase in cases of Salmonella Agona infection during April and May 1998. As of June 8, 1998, a total of 209 cases had been reported and 47 people hospitalized. Some interesting statistics available among 162 of the patients involved in the outbreak were that
1) 52% were female, and
2) 68% were children and elderly (47% in children less than 10 years of age, and 21% in people greater than 70 years of age).

Salmonella Agona is an uncommon serotype of Salmonella, accounting for approximately 1.5% of human isolates reported to the Public Health Laboratory Information System (PHLIS). Salmonella Agona is found in a variety of animal reservoirs including poultry, cattle, pigs, and animal feed. Since the original outbreak, additional cases of Salmonella Agona infection have now been reported in California, Washington, New Jersey, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Idaho, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Connecticut. These cases are being investigated to determine if there is a link between them and the plain Toasted Oats cereal outbreak.

The Malt-O-Meal, Inc. plant that manufactured the implicated cereal has issued a voluntary recall of all plain Toasted Oats cereal produced on the same production line. Initial outbreak reports implicated only Millville brand toasted oats, but Malto-O-Meal, Inc., voluntarily expanded its recall to include approximately two to three million pounds of cereal produced under 39 generic and store-brand names. The recall does not include Safeway and Janet Lee brand toasted oat products sold in Colorado as they are not manufactured by Malt-O-Meal.

The exact cause of the contamination is still unknown, but Malt-O-Meal president, John Letman has speculated that a problem with an oven in early April could have caused the problem or allowed a contaminated vitamin spray to spoil the cereal.

CDC is recommending that consumers not eat plain Toasted Oats cereal produced by Malt-O-Meal until further investigation has identified the scope, magnitude and cause of the contamination. Any consumer with this product should return it to the retailer where it was purchased. Questions about plain Toasted Oats cereals manufactured by Malto- O-Meal should be directed to the company at (800) 590-1810.

Sources: 1) Morbidity and mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 47, June 12, 1998; 2) IFT Science Communications, June 8, 1998.

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Updated Monday, August 29, 2011