General Mills is collaborating with health officials to investigate an ongoing, multistate outbreak of a specific type of E. coli (E. coli O121) that may be potentially linked to Gold Medal flour, Wondra flour and Signature Kitchens flour.
Advertisement
Following a recall by General Mills, Inc., GIANT Food Stores, LLC and MARTIN’S Food Markets announced it removed from sale select Gold Medal products that are potentially linked to an outbreak of E. coli 0121.
Weis and Giant said in separate releases that the recall affects three Gold Medal Flour varieties, which are 2-pound bags with Universal Product Code (bar code) No. 1600010710, 5-pound bags with UPC No. 1600010610 and 13.5-ounce Gold Medal Shake Pour containers with UPC No.1600018980.
General Mills said the pathogen had not been found in any of its flour products or in its flour manufacturing plant.
Anyone with the affected products in their homes, should throw the flour away, according to the release.
The food conglomerate is recalling its flour from those brands, after a potential link was found between them and 38 cases of E. coli.
Consumers who have recalled flour should not use it.
General Mills said Tuesday that a total of 38 people were ill between mid-December and early May.
General Mills believed some of the ill people might have eaten raw dough or batter. Young children frequently like to put things in their mouth or “taste” things, and they are particularly susceptible to getting sick from food-borne illnesses.
The flour recall also comes after General Mills in October recalled 1.8 million boxes of Cheerios because wheat flour was inadvertently added to cereal labeled gluten-free.
Advertisement
In an interview with Good Morning America, Dr. Richard Besser, ABC News’ chief health and medical editor and former director at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said an E. coli outbreak caused by flour was rare, and something you wouldn’t normally see.
