Gold Medal Flour Is Being Recalled Over Possible E. Coli Contamination

Georgia Slater

Before you kick off fall by baking a delicious pumpkin bread this week, make sure you check the date of your Gold Medal flour.

General Mills announced a voluntary national recall Monday of any five-pound bags of its Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose Flour with a “better if used by” date of Sept. 6, 2020, according to the Food and Drug Administration. No other bags should be affected, the company reports.

While sampling the product, the “potential presence” of E. coli O26 contamination — which can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration — was discovered, however, no illnesses have yet to be confirmed, General Mills said in a statement.

According to the FDA, E. coli O26 is typically harmless, though some strains can make you sick.

FDA
FDA

Symptoms of this strain will typically show up within three to four days of exposure, according to the CDC.

As always, the FDA and CDC continues to warn consumers not to eat any raw products made with flour as the bacteria is only killed by “heat through baking, frying, sautéing or boiling products made with flour.”

RELATED: General Mills Recalls 5 Lb. Bags of Gold Medal Unbleached Flour Over Salmonella Fears

Consumers with the product have been encouraged to dispose of it. They may contact General Mills Consumer Relations at 1-800-230-8103 or visit www.generalmills.com/flour for more information.

In January, the food company announced a voluntary recall of the same bags over fears of salmonella contamination.

Its potential presence led General Mills to the issue the recall “out of an abundance of care,” as the company “has not received any direct consumer reports of confirmed illnesses related to this product.”