General Mills Recalling Some 5-Pound Bags of Flour Over Salmonella Fears

If you have a bag of General Mills Gold Medal unbleached flour in your pantry, you might want to take a look at the "Best-if-used-by" date. 

The company announced Wednesday that they were initiating a recall for its 5-pound bags of Gold Medal unbleached flour bags with a best-if-used-by date of April 20, 2020, over concerns of salmonella contamination. 

"This recall is being issued out of an abundance of care as General Mills has not received any direct consumer reports of confirmed illnesses related to this product," the company said in a statement.

The recall reportedly affects fewer than 100,000 bags. It was initiated by the company after sampling of the flour revealed some salmonella contamination. 

General Mills says they have not received any reports of confirmed illnesses from consumers as a result of the recalled bags of flour. 

“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,” Jim Murphy, president of the General Mills meals and baking division, said in a statement. “We are continuing to educate consumers that flour is not a ‘ready to eat’ ingredient. Anything you make with flour must be cooked or baked before eating.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says salmonella can cause symptoms of diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps that show up between 12 and 72 hours after consuming it. Illnesses can last between four and seven days, and most people get better without the need for hospitalization. 

Customers who have the flour are encouraged to get rid of it and not use to cook. Customers can contact General Mills at 1-800-230-8103 or by visiting www.generalmills.com/flour for more information. 

Up to 1.2 million people are sickened every year as a result of salmonella contamination, the CDC estimates. 

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