General Mills Recalls 10 million Pounds of Flour

Grace Palo

WMAL.com

WASHINGTON — (WMAL) General Mills is now recalling 10 million pounds of flour due to a possible link to a specific type of E. coli (E. coli O121) outbreak in 20 states.

The recall is for several types of the Gold Medal and Signature Kitchens flour that were sold at Safeway, Albertsons and several other supermarkets.

“Out of an abundance of caution”, according to General Mills, a voluntary recall is being made.

To date, E. coli O121 has not been found in any General Mills flour products or in the flour manufacturing facility, and the company has not been contacted directly by any consumer reporting confirmed illnesses related to these products.

State and federal authorities have been researching 38 occurrences of illnesses across 20 states related to a specific type of E. coli (E. coli O121), between December 21, 2015, and May 3, 2016.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found during this that approximately half of the individuals reported making something homemade with flour at some point prior to becoming ill, some of flour being from a General Mills brand.

Some of the individuals may have also eaten raw dough or batter, the Minneapolis food company said.

“As a leading provider of flour for 150 years, we felt it was important to not only recall the product and replace it for consumers if there was any doubt, but also to take this opportunity to remind our consumers how to safely handle flour,” said Liz Nordlie, president of General Mills Baking division.

Although most strains of E. coli are harmless, others can make you sick.

E. coli O121 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. Seniors, the very young, and persons with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.

(Photo: Food Safety News)