Symptoms include bloody diarrhea because of intestinal bleeding, cramping, and dehydration.
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General Mills is expanding a Gold Medal flour recall after newly reported illnesses of people eating raw dough or batter. Numerous people who got sick reported having eaten raw flour, in cookie dough for instance.
The CDC linked the outbreak to the flour produced at General Mills’ plant in Kansas City, Missouri.
A string of infections that had begun in December and were caused by Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O121 beginning in December had been discovered by the CDC. Seniors, small children and people with compromised immune systems are most at risk.
According to the Food and Drug Administration website, said it’s investigating a multistate outbreak of E. coli O121. As always, the very smart people at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning against consuming any raw products made with flour, not least because there’s been a nationwide recall of that ever-important ingredient.
Health officials have cautioned consumers to discard any of the recalled flour, and any other flour that isn’t in packet anymore. All surfaces, hands and utensils should be properly cleaned after contact with flour or dough.
Investigators also became aware of illnesses linked to restaurants that gave balls of raw dough for children to play with.
Studies found E. coli and other bacteria in commercial flour as far back as the 1990s, though flour hadn’t been implicated in outbreaks. “Consumers should check recall information carefully”. Consumers who have purchased this product should not eat it as Listeria can cause serious illness and death.
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The FDA notes it’s an unusual recall and has reminded people that any raw food can carry bacteria. The product contains soy, wheat, and fish, three of the major food allergens, that are not declared on the label.
