USA – The American food manufacturer, General Mills has voluntarily recalled 5-pound bags of its Gold Medal Unbleached flour following concerns that it could possibly be contaminated with Salmonella.
The recall involved Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose 5LB Flour (Package UPC 000-16000-19610-0) with a Use by Date 20 April 2020 (20APR2020KC).
The company clearly indicated that the recall would only affect the one date code of Gold Medal Unbleached Flour 5-pound (2.26 kilogrammes) bags while all other types of Gold Medal were not affected.
Food safety is our top priority, and though we have not had any confirmed illnesses, we are voluntarily recalling this specific lot of Gold Medal Unbleached Flour to prevent potential illnesses.
Jim Murphy, president of General Mills Meals and Baking Division
It has asked consumers to check their pantries and dispose of the affected product by the recall.
“Food safety is our top priority, and though we have not had any confirmed illnesses, we are voluntarily recalling this specific lot of Gold Medal Unbleached Flour to prevent potential illnesses,” said Jim Murphy, president of General Mills Meals and Baking Division.
“This recall does not involve any other flour products, and we are continuing to educate consumers that flour is not a ‘ready to eat’ ingredient.
Anything you make with flour must be cooked or baked before eating.”
The company said it discovered salmonella during sampling of the product, but it has not received any direct consumer reports of confirmed illnesses.
Salmonella is a bacterial contamination which can cause nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain for those infected, and can lead to more serious infections if in the bloodstream.
The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment, but in some cases diarrhea can be severe and may need hospitalization.
Back in 2016, General Mills recalled 10 million pounds of flour that was linked to an outbreak of E. coli.
The outbreak claimed to have sickened 38 people in 20 states, including 10 people who had to be hospitalized.
In November last year, Conagra Brands voluntarily recalled four of Duncan Hines’ cake mixes (2.4 million boxes) in connection with a salmonella outbreak.
