CHICAGO — Quaker Oats on Friday recalled several of its granola products, including granola bars and cereals, saying the foods could be contaminated with salmonella.
Salmonella infections can cause fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain, according to the Food and Drug Administration. In rare cases, the bacterial disease can be fatal.
Quaker, which is owned by PepsiCo, said in a news release that it has not received any reports of salmonella infections related to the recalled granola products. The full list of recalled foods includes granola oats cereals and Quaker Chewy Bars, which are also sold in PepsiCo's snack mixes.
The affected products have been sold in all 50 U.S. states, as well as U.S. territories, Quaker said. The company is asking customers with recalled products to throw them away and contact its customer support line or visit the recall website for more information and reimbursement.
According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 1.35 million cases of salmonella infection occur in the U.S. each year, causing approximately 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths.
Most people infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps within six hour to six days after consuming food contaminated with the bacteria. Illnesses typically last four to seven days. Vulnerable people, including children, people older than 65 and those with weakened immune systems may develop severe illnesses that require medical care or hospitalization.
In a separate nationwide recall, officials warned customers not to eat any cantaloupe, including pre-cut cantaloupe and products that include it, if they do not know the source of their fruit and whether it is included in the recall.
Recalls have expanded to include more products as more people have been sickened by a salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupe, according to the FDA and CDC.
More than 200 people across 38 states have gotten sick from salmonella poisoning linked to both whole and pre-cut cantaloupe. Two people in Minnesota and one in Oregon have died.
The illnesses are severe, with more than half of infected people hospitalized, including residents of long-term care centers and children in daycare, the CDC said.