US legislators have written to Kellogg to ask for more information on the chemical said to have been behind the June recall of around 28m boxes of the company’s cereals.
Congressmen have asked Kellogg CEO Dave Mackay to provide more information on 2-methylnaphthalene, a chemical to be the likely source of the “off-flavour and smell” from the boxes that prompted the recall.
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On 25 June, Kellogg pulled boxes of Corn Pops, Honey Smacks, Froot Loops and Apple Jacks but insisted the “potential for serious health problems was low”.
However, Kellogg did state that the flavour and smell could cause “temporary symptoms” like nausea and diarrhea.
Nevertheless, Congressmen Henry Waxman and Bart Stupak pointed to one study that claimed 2-methylnaphthalene could cause “lung injuries in adults”.
The chairmen of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce and its Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations asked Kellogg “to identify, address, and prevent hazardous chemicals, such as 2-methylnaphthalene, from being in your food products”.
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By GlobalDataThe Congressmen also asked Kellogg to submit documents relating to any assessments the company had carried out on the “health risks posed by 2-methylnaphthalene”.
Kellogg has also been asked to send documents relating to its investigation and subsequent cereal recall.
A Kellogg spokesperson said: “We will work closely with Chairmen Waxman and Stupak to provide the committee with the information that they have requested.”
She added: “Kellogg Company acted swiftly and responsibly to protect our consumers when we executed the voluntary recall of select cereal packages on June 25. It’s important to correct the record that we did not destroy packaging prior to contacting the Food and Drug Administration and conducting the voluntary recall.”
A report in The Washington Post had claimed Kellogg had destroyed the tainted packaging before alerting the FDA about the recall.
