Have a 5 lb. bag of General Mills Gold Medal unbleached flour in your pantry? Now’s the time to check that best-if-used-by date.
On Wednesday, the food company announced a voluntary recall of all of its 5 lb. Gold Medal unbleached flour bags with a best-if-used-by date of April 20, 2020, over fears of salmonella contamination.
The bacteria — which can cause nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain for those infected, and can lead to more serious infections if in the bloodstream — was discovered during a sampling of the bag. Its potential presence lead General Mills to the issue the recall “out of an abundance of care,” as the company “has not received any direct consumer reports of confirmed illnesses related to this product.”
“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, said in a statement.The Gold Medal unbleached flour 5 lb. bags are affected by this recall. All other Gold Medal flour bags are not included.
Consumers with the product have been encouraged to dispose of it. They may contact General Mills Consumer Relations at 1-800-230-8103 or visit www.generalmills.com/flour for more information.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) say that salmonella is killed through baking, frying, sautéing or boiling products made with flour. The organizations encourage consumers to refrain from consuming raw products made with flour, and remind all to properly clean surfaces, hands and utensils after contact with flour or dough.
“We are continuing to educate consumers that flour is not a ‘ready to eat’ ingredient,” Murphy added in his statement. “Anything you make with flour must be cooked or baked before eating.”
According to the CDC, salmonella is estimated to cause about 1.2 million illnesses, 450 deaths, and 23,000 hospitalizations in the U.S. each year.
