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General Mills recalls Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose Flour for E. coli contamination

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the recall.
The recall is for bags with a "better if used by" date of Sept. 6, 2020.
The recall is for bags with a "better if used by" date of Sept. 6, 2020.
/ Source: TODAY

General Mills announced Monday it has voluntarily recalled 5-pound bags of its Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose Flour for E. coli after it was found while sampling the bags.

The recall is centered on bags with a “better if used by" date of Sept. 6, 2020. The UPC is 000-16000-19610-0.

“This recall is being issued out of an abundance of care as General Mills has not received any direct consumer reports of confirmed illnesses related to this product,” the company said in a statement. “All other types of Gold Medal Flour are not affected by this recall. Consumers are asked to check their pantries and dispose of the product affected by this recall.”

“Consumers are reminded that flour is not a ‘ready to eat’ ingredient,” the company added.

People who have questions or would like a replacement coupon can contact consumer relations at 1-800-230-8103.

The Food and Drug Administration cautions people not to eat raw flour. “Flour, regardless of the brand, can contain bacteria that cause disease,” it says on its website.

“People often understand the dangers of eating raw dough due to the presence of raw eggs and the associated risk with salmonella," the FDA added. "However, consumers should be aware that there are additional risks associated with the consumption of raw dough, such as particularly harmful strains of E. coli in a product like flour.”

This is the latest flour recall this year and second one alone for General Mills' Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose Flour. In January, the company issued a recall for those same 5-pound bags, with an April 20, 2020 “better if used by” date after salmonella was found while sampling the bags. No one had reported any illness before the recall was issued.

In June, Pillsbury recalled 5-pound bags of bread flour for E. coli after three people were hospitalized. The bacteria was also behind Aldi recalling 5-pound bags of Bakers Corner All Purpose Flour in May.

In March, Hometown Food Company recalled 5-pound bags of Pillsbury Unbleached All Purpose Flour due to concerns it may have salmonella.