On Monday General Mills Inc. (NYSE:GIS) announced a voluntary recall of around 600,000 pounds of its Gold Medal Unbleached All-Purpose Flour for the potential presence of E. coli contamination. The recall is for the 120,000 five-pound bags with a “better if used by” date of September 6, 2020.
Gold Medal Flour contaminated with E. coli
The presence of E. coli O26 in the flour was found in the five-pound bag product during sampling. However, other types of Gold Medal Flour are not part of the recall. In a statement, the company said that they are issuing the recall out of an abundance of care since the company has not received any direct consumer reports of illness from the product.
This is a second recall of the five-pound bags of the Gold Medal Unbleached Flour in eight months. At the beginning of the year, the Minnesota-based company recalled the product due to the possibility of the presence of salmonella.
General Mill has asked consumers to check their pantries and dispose of the affected product by the recall. The company indicates that those who will dispose of the products should contact the company’s Consumer Relations at 1-800-230-8103 or learn more from the company website www.generalmills.com/flour.
The outbreak of E. coli O26
According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention states E. coli infection usually occur between three and four days after consumption of the bacteria. After five to seven days, one starts to experience severe stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea. In severe cases, one may get hemolytic uremic syndrome which is a type of kidney failure.
This year there has been an outbreak of E. coli O26 which has led to several recalls. According to the CDC, around 21 people in nine states got bacterial infections. Other brands of flour recalled include Baker’s Corner All-Purpose Flour, King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, and Pillsbury Bets Bread Flour.
Equally, in 2016 the company also issued a 45-ton flour recall because of an outbreak of the bacteria. Around 63 people got E. coli infections from December 2015 to early September 2016.