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PR Newswire Sends Out, Retracts Fake General Mills Press Release

A fake press release went out over PR Newswire at midnight EDT yesterday that stated that President Barack Obama had ordered an investigation into General Mills' supply chain. The information is "completely false" and the company has no supply chain issues, according to spokeswoman Kirstie Foster.

Anjali Cordiero reports that the company, which usually uses Business Wire to disseminate its information, alerted PR Newswire soon after the bogus release ran, and the service quickly instructed journalists and readers to "disregard" the document.

General Mills is investigating the matter and says that law enforcement is involved. PR Newswire says it has reported the situation to "appropriate regulatory authorities." Cordiero points out that General Mills has benefited from consumers eating more often at home during the recession and that its shares hit an all-time high Tuesday.

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