General-Mills-recall

The Food and Drug Administration has expanded its investigation into an outbreak of infections caused by Salmonella Infantis that has been linked to flour.

As of the most recent update, on March 30, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak has sickened at least a dozen people across 11 states. Three of the patients have required hospitalization. No deaths have been reported.

Although a specific brand of flour has not been revealed by federal officials, the FDA reports that it has begun onsite inspection of an unnamed location and sample collection.

Illnesses started on dates ranging from Dec. 6, 2022, to Feb. 13, 2023, but there are likely more sick people who have not yet been confirmed because of the time it takes for testing and reporting.

The sick people live from coast to coast in Oregon, California, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia and New York. Whole genome sequencing from lab samples from the patients shows a common cause for their infections. 

The CDC continues to remind people to exercise caution when cooking with flour. Raw dough and batter should not be eaten and children should not be allowed to play with raw flour. Utensils used when cooking with raw flour and surfaces that come into contact with it should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Flour is a raw agricultural product and can be easily contaminated when grain is processed.

General Mills Recall

General Mills is recalling 2-, 5- and 10-pound bags of its Gold Medal Unbleached and Bleached All Purpose Flour after sampling found Salmonella contamination. The FDA is currently investigating an outbreak linked to flour, but it has not been announced whether this recall is related to the outbreak.

The presence of Salmonella Infantis was discovered during sampling of the five-pound bag product.

The recalled flour has “better if used by” dates of March 27, 2024, and March 28, 2024. 

This recall affects two date codes of Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose Flour in the 5- and 10-pound bags and two date codes of Gold Medal Bleached All Purpose Flour in the 2- and 5-pound bags.

Guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warn that consumers should refrain from consuming any raw products made with flour. Salmonella Infantis is killed by heat through baking, frying, sautéing or boiling products made with flour. All surfaces, hands and utensils should be properly cleaned after contact with flour or dough.

The recalled products were distributed nationally. 

This voluntary recall includes the following code dates currently in stores or consumers’ pantries:

  • Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose 5LB Flour
    Package UPC  000-16000-19610
    Recalled Better if Used by Date 27MAR2024 and 28MAR2024
  • Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose 10LB Flour
    Package UPC 000-16000-19580
    Recalled Better if Used by Date 27MAR2024 and 28MAR2024
  • Gold Medal Bleached All Purpose 2LB Flour
    Package UPC  000-16000-10710
    Recalled Better if Used by Date 27MAR2024 and 28MAR2024
  • Gold Medal Bleached All Purpose 5LB Flour
    Package UPC  000-16000-10610
    Recalled Better if Used by Date  27MAR2024 and 28MAR2024

Consumers are asked to check their pantries and dispose of the product affected by this recall. 

Salmonella:  Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm, is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $850 million for clients.  Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation.  Our Salmonella lawyers have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants.  The law firm has brought Salmonella lawsuits against such companies as Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Sheetz, Taco Bell, Subway and Wal-Mart.  

If you or a family member became ill with a Salmonella infection, including Reactive Arthritis or Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), after consuming food and you’re interested in pursuing a legal claim, contact the Marler Clark Salmonella attorneys for a free case evaluation.

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