FDA closes investigation of Lucky Charms after 558 reports of illness

SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 18: In this photo illustration, a bowl of General Mills Lucky Charms cereal is displayed on April 18, 2022 in San Anselmo, California. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating reports of hundreds of people that have fallen ill and have experienced symptoms of nausea, diarrhea and vomiting after eating Lucky Charms cereal.
Photo credit (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Despite hundreds of complaints from people who claimed that Lucky Charms caused nausea, vomiting and other symptoms, federal investigators were unable to identify any link between an outbreak and the popular cereal.

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday announced that its investigation into whether Lucky Charms is making people sick is officially closed.

"The FDA investigation has closed with no pathogen or cause of the self-reported illnesses identified, despite extensive testing for numerous potential microbial and chemical adulterants," the agency said in a statement.

The FDA launched an investigation in April after receiving more than 100 reports from people who claimed to have experienced nausea, vomiting and diarrhea after eating Lucky Charms.

Throughout the course of the investigation, a total of 558 people filed similar reports with the FDA.

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Thousands of people documented their alleged illnesses after eating a bowl, including poop turning green, on iwaspoisoned.com, a website which tracks foodborne illnesses.

When the investigation was launched, General Mills told The Washington Post it was taking the complaints seriously even though it did not believe Lucky Charms was making people sick.

The FDA investigation involved on-site inspections and sample collections. None of the testing revealed links to any source of potential contamination or results that warranted traceback, the agency said.

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Featured Image Photo Credit: (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)