General Mills CEO Jeff Harmening said the company is taking food safety very seriously after a customer’s claim that he found shrimp tails in his Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal went viral.
“It’s amazing how much coverage this story has gotten. I have to admit some of it is quite humorous, but what I want you to know, and for your viewers to know, is that we take food safety very seriously at General Mills,” Harmening said. to Sara Eisen of CNBC on ‘Closing Bell’.
TV writer and podcast presenter Jensen Karp tweeted Monday that he found several shrimp tails in a box of General Mills cereal.
Karp also claimed that the other box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch he bought appeared to contain dental floss and was taped to the bottom.
“Based on the information we have now, it is highly unlikely that this occurred at a General Mills facility,” Harmening said.
Harmening added that General Mills is working with Karp, although based on Karp’s tweets, the relationship appears to be controversial. Karp tweeted earlier on Wednesday that he is waiting for General Mills’ envelope to return them.
Karp told Yahoo Entertainment he wants General Mills to remove the grain from its shelves to protect consumers who may be allergic to shellfish or keep kosher.
Cereal sales saw an unexpected surge in the past year due to the coronavirus pandemic after years of stagnant growth. Consumers who work remotely have reverted to old favorites, such as Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Cheerios. Earlier on Wednesday, General Mills reported that US grain sales were up 9% in the most recent quarter.
The company’s stock fell 4% during afternoon trading after falling short of Wall Street’s expectations for its fiscal profit in the third quarter. The stock is up 21% over the past year, putting it at a market value of $ 35.9 billion. In addition to the booming grain trade during the pandemic, consumers have also consumed more of its baked goods and bought more of its Blue Buffalo pet foods.