Another week, and yet another food recall. This time it is over fears of a food-borne illness.
General Mills, the company behind many of our favorite food brands, has issued a voluntary recall for its Gold Medal unbleached flour due to potential salmonella contamination.
Even though the company "has not received any direct consumer reports of confirmed illnesses related to this product," they're asking consumers to stop using the flour "out of an abundance of care."
As per the press release, only the five-pound bags of the Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour are affected by the recall.
The bags have a better-if-used by date of April 20, 2020 and a UPC of 000-16000-19610-0.
"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," said Jim Murphy, president of General Mills Meals and Baking Division.
If you have the recalled product in your home, you should throw it out immediately. Customers who are impacted by this recall are encouraged to contact General Mills Consumer Relations at 1-800-230-8103 or visit www.generalmills.com/flour.
Murphy also took the opportunity to highlight the danger of eating raw flour, which is a big component in making treats like cookie dough.
"...we are continuing to educate consumers that flour is not a 'ready to eat' ingredient," he explained, before adding, "Anything you make with flour must be cooked or baked before eating."
Salmonellosis, the infection caused by the salmonella bacteria is characterized by diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, chills, headaches, bloody stools, nausea, and vomiting.
These symptoms usually appear between 12 to 72 hours after exposure to the bacteria, and can last up to a week. Most people will get better on their own, but in some cases, symptoms may persist, becoming a cause for hospitalization.
Every year, approximately one million individuals in the Unites states are infected by Salmonella via food, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.