The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is advising consumers that General Mills is recalling five-pound bags of its Gold Medal Unbleached Flour with a 'better if used by' date of April 20, 2020. The recall is being issued because of the potential presence of Salmonella which was discovered during sampling of the five-pound bag product.
This voluntary recall includes the following code date:
Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose 5LB Flour Package UPC: 000-16000-19610-0 Recalled Better if Used by Date: 20APR2020KC
Consumers are asked to check their pantries and dispose of the product affected by this recall. Consumers who have had to discard products covered by this recall may contact General Mills Consumer Relations at 1-800-230-8103 or visit www.generalmills.com/flour [health.us5.list-manage.com].
This recall only affects this one date code of Gold Medal Unbleached Flour five-pound bags. All other types of Gold Medal Flour are not affected by this recall.General Mills has not received any direct consumer reports of confirmed illnesses related to this product.
Guidance from the Food and Drug Administration [health.us5.list-manage.com] (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to warn that consumers should refrain from consuming any raw products made with flour. Salmonella is killed by heat through baking, frying, sauteing or boiling products made with flour. All surfaces, hands and utensils should be properly cleaned after contact with flour or dough.
Healthy people infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.