We’ve probably all seen General Mills’ new Cheerios commercial, where the company announces that its cereal is now gluten-free for the enjoyment of people with celiac disease or who cannot or do not consume gluten.
It looks like they’ve had to go back on their word.
A Mix Up in the Oat-Flour System
The company is voluntarily recalling just about 1.8 million boxes of their gluten-free marked original and Honey Nut Cheerios due to the possible presence of wheat in the cereal, as announced this Monday.
Senior vice-president of General Mills’ cereal division Jim Murphy expresses his apologies and his embarrassment by the incident, which allowed wheat flour to get introduced into the gluten-free oat flour system at a facility in Lodi, California.
The Details
The company revealed that affected boxes were produced over 3 days in July for the Cheerios boxes and over 13 days for the Honey Nut Cheerios, and about 150,000 cases were shipped nationally fall under the recall. This “undeclared allergen” would be detrimental to those with wheat allergies, celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
General Mills added that it will take down all affected boxes from store shelves and warehouses alike, further stating that customers with the mislabeled products may contact the company for a replacement or refund.
The company’s Lodi production facility lost rail service for a time, and the gluten-free oat flour was off-loaded from rail cars to trucks for delivery during the dates in question. It was declared to be an isolated incident caused by human error, resulting in the inadvertent inclusion of wheat in their gluten-free oat flour system.
Gluten-Free Diets Are Becoming More Popular by the Day
Cheerios and its varieties are a very beloved cereal, and this event has proven to be an unfortunate one, causing issues for kids and adults alike.
About 20 million Americans have a sensitivity to gluten or celiac disease, while others have shunned gluten in hopes of losing weight or for health benefits. This is why General Mills announced they would implement gluten-free Cheerios in five of its varieties this past February, and the company ensures that boxes produced at the Lodi plant from other dates are safe for consumption.
