The above is true only when the oats are in the form of grain. Mishnah Berurah (325:16) writes that grain that has been milled into flour is considered inedible and is muktza. The oats in the packets of oatmeal have been cut into flakes, but they are noticeably grain and not flour. Oat flakes are edible. For example, it is common to sprinkle raw oat flakes onto various foods. As such, the beracha on oat flakes is Ha’adama. Even though the oats in the packet were mixed with sugar and spices and packaged for use as hot cereal, they remain edible as is. The bottom line is that oatmeal packets are edible, the beracha is Ha’adama, they are not muktzah and the drawer may be opened.
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