Salmonella Infections Prompt Gold Medal Flour Recall
The federal Centers for Disease Control has issued a food safety alert for Gold Medal Flour after a multi-state salmonella outbreak was linked to the product.
That's according to a post on the CDC website.
General Mills, the maker of the flour, issued a voluntary recall of some Gold Medal flour products on April 28. The recall included 2-pound,5-pound and 10 pound bags of bleached and unbleached All-Purpose flour.
The recalled flour has "Better if Used By" dates of March 27 and March 28 2024. The CDC says the recalled flour includes the following Package Universal Product Codes [UPC]:
Gold Medal Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (5 lb bag)000-16000-19610
Gold Medal Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (10 lb bag)000-16000-19580
Gold Medal Bleached All-Purpose Flour (2 lb bag)000-16000-10710
Gold Medal Bleached All-Purpose Flour (5 lb bag)000-16000-10610
The CDC says so far people in 12 states have been sickened with salmonella linked to the flour. While Wyoming is not one of those states so far, Nebraska is. Nationally 13 people are believed to have suffered from salmonella linked to the flour with three hospitalizations reported.
People who may have purchased the flour are being told not to cook with it, but to either throw it out or return it to the store where it was purchased.
According to the CDC:
Most people with Salmonella infection have diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
Symptoms usually begin six hours to six days after infection and last four to seven days. However, some people do not develop symptoms for several weeks after infection and others experience symptoms for several weeks.
Salmonella strains sometimes cause infection in urine, blood, bones, joints, or the nervous system (spinal fluid and brain), and can cause severe disease.
Salmonella is not usually fatal, and for most people the infection clears up without medical attention in about 4-7 days. People infected should drink plenty of fluids.
But some groups of people are especially vulnerable to salmonella and may need treatment with antibiotics.
Those folks may include:
- People with severe illness
- People with a weakened immune system, such as from HIV infection or chemotherapy treatment
- Adults older than 50 who have medical problems, such as heart disease
- Infants (children younger than 12 months).
- Adults age 65 or older