General Mills has announced a voluntary recall of 5-lb. Bags of its Gold Medal brand unbleached flour due to possible Salmonella contamination.

Product recalled:

• Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose 5LB Flour
• Package UPC: 000-16000-19610-0
• Recalled Better if Used by Date: 20APR2020KC

The affected flour packages—which display a ‘better if used by’ date of April 20, 2020—are being recalled after sampling uncovered the contamination. No other type of Gold Medal flour is included in this recall. At the time of the recall announcement, no reports of consumer illness had been reported.

The recall notice posted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reminds consumers that flour is not a ready-to-eat ingredient.

“Anything you make with flour must be cooked or baked before eating,” says Jim Murphy, president of General Mills’ Meals and Baking Division.

In 2016, General Mills issued a similar voluntary recall, that time for 10 million pounds of Gold Medal flour—due to an Escherichia coli outbreak. By the end of the outbreak, which was announced in September 2016, 63 people in 24 states had fallen ill. After speaking with those affected by the outbreak, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believed that some of the individuals had consumed raw dough or batter—a habit strongly discouraged by CDC.

At that time, General Mills released a statement saying, “Flour is an ingredient that comes from milling wheat, something grown outdoors that carries with it risks of bacteria, which are rendered harmless by baking, frying or boiling,”

As for the January 2019 flour recall, consumers are being instructed to dispose of the flour if it fits the description of the recalled product. General Mills’ consumer relations department can be reached directly at 800-230-8103 or www.generalmills.com/flour for more information.

Related articles:
General Mills Recalls 10 Million Pounds of Flour Due to E. coli 
More E. coli Illnesses Prompt General Mills Recall Expansion

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