Malt-O-Meal initiates cereal recall

MINNEAPOLIS, April 6 (UPI) -- The Malt-O-Meal Co. has initiated a voluntary nationwide recall of Unsweetened Puffed Rice and unsweetened Puffed Wheat Cereals, the U.S. company said.

The cereal group said in a news release issued Saturday that due to a possible health risk, all boxes of the two cereal brands with the "Best If Used By" codes of "APR0808" and "MAR1809" were being recalled immediately.

While no illnesses have been linked to the products to date, Salmonella was found in a product during a routine food safety test.

The food company has posted a list of all potentially risky products at www.malt-o-meal.com/recallinfo.

Malt-O-Meal President Chris Neugent apologized for the recall Saturday, saying it merely represented a precautionary effort by the company to ensure public safety.

"Our first and highest priority is the safety of the consumers who use our products," Neugent said. "It's important that we spread the word about this situation quickly and broadly in order to remove even the slightest possibility that someone will consume something harmful. We apologize for this situation and promise to do everything to complete the recall as quickly as possible."