The Quaker Oats Company added more products this week to a recall that began last month due to possible salmonella contamination, bringing the total number of products to more than 60.
Quaker Oats, owned by PepsiCo, initially recalled 43 products, including granola bars, cereals and various snacks. On Thursday, the company added 24 products to the list.
The recently recalled items include Quaker chewy granola bars, Gatorade protein bars, Cap'n Crunch bars, Quaker Simply Granola cereals, Gamesa Marías cereals and other cereals.
“To date, Quaker has not received confirmed reports of illnesses related to the products covered by this recall,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in December. It is unclear if any illnesses have been reported since then.
It was not immediately clear how the possible contamination occurred or how or when it first came to the attention of federal regulators or the company. Quaker Oats did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.
On its website, the company listed the recalled products and offered an option to request a refund.
Customers should check their pantries for any of the products and throw them away, the FDA said.
Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.
Common symptoms of salmonella include fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, which may be bloody. In rare cases, salmonella can enter the bloodstream and cause more serious illnesses, such as infected arteries, according to the FDA.
Exposed people usually begin to feel unwell between six hours and six days later. Most infections are mild and last four to seven days.
Other recent salmonella-related recalls have been linked to a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits, and meats. At least two people died in a salmonella outbreak linked to melons that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in November.
Salmonella bacteria cause about 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the United States each year, according to the CDC.
