Will I get sick from eating the Twinkies, HoHos or other Hostess items that were recalled?

Eating a small amount of asbestos fibers presents a minimal health risk and, therefore, no illness is expected to occur. Health problems from asbestos result primarily from inhaling many fibers over an extended period of time.

I already have eaten some of these snack items. What is going to happen to me?

Again, eating a small amount of asbestos fibers presents a minimal health risk. Only eating asbestos fibers over a long period of time could lead to health problems.

If I have eaten some of these snack items, should I go to my physician?

No. There are no medical tests to detect asbestos.

Should I get the snack items tested to see if they have any asbestos in them?

There is no certified, standard test to detect the presence of asbestos fibers in food.

What should I do if I still have some of the snack items that were recalled?

Return the items to the retail outlet where you bought them and receive a refund or discard the items in the trash.

What should I tell a young child who has eaten one of these snack items and is afraid he or she will get sick or die?

Reassure the child that eating one of these snack items will not make him or her sick and not to worry. The snacks are being recalled as a public health precaution because they "may have" been contaminated or adulterated by asbestos fibers. In any case, eating these snacks causes minimum health risk.

Are school food service personnel being made aware of this situation?

Schools should be informed by their suppliers and the local health department.

Is the Illinois Department of Public Health testing these products for asbestos contamination?

The Department is probably not going to test the product because there is no certified standard test for asbestos in food.

If the snack items do not pose a serious health risk, why were they recalled?

Products that may contain a harmful agent should not be available for public consumption. A recall is a precautionary public health measure that is taken whenever there is reason to believe a product has been contaminated or adulterated before it reaches the public. It is done to ensure that no one becomes ill now or in the future.