Thousands of people in the US say a popular cereal, which is also sold in New Zealand, has given them a bout of illness.
Lucky Charms is a cereal consisting of toasted oats and colourful charm-shaped marshmallows, fronted by a leprechaun mascot named Lucky.
The cereal is sold in New Zealand at New World, but there have been no reports of Kiwis falling ill after eating it.
More than 4500 people have complained on consumer website iwaspoisoned about falling ill after consuming the cereal, with common symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea and nausea.
"We bought a box of chocolate Lucky Charms about three weeks ago. Opened it last week, had a bowl. Spent the rest of the week with diarrhea and vomiting. Feel like I got hit by a truck," one person wrote.
"After hearing about others reporting getting the same symptoms after eating Lucky Charms, I had an ah-ha moment. My daughter and I both had Lucky Charms prior to us both getting sick," another person wrote.
Many consumers also reported having "green diarrhoea" after eating the cereal that has green coloured four-leaf clover marshmallows.
The US Food and Drug Administration told the Wall Street Journal it is investigating the safety of Lucky Charms and has received over 200 complaints from consumers reporting illness after eating the cereal.
General Mills Inc, which owns Lucky Charms, said it has been looking into the claims and hasn't found any evidence of illness tied to its products.
"We are thoroughly investigating this matter and fully cooperating with the FDA," a General Mills spokesperson told the outlet.
Lucky Charms has asked consumers to message the company so it can gather details regarding the illnesses experienced.
"Food safety is our top priority," the company tweeted. "We're aware of concerns via a third-party website and take these reports seriously. We’ve investigated and found no evidence these complaints are attributed to our products. Can you send us a private message to collect additional details?"
General Mills Inc has not issued a recall for Lucky Charms cereal.
