No, not semolina flour. Salmonella in your flour. Or at least the potential of it. That’s what the food processing company General Mills announced in a voluntary recall, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The alarms went off after some sampling of their five-pound bags of flours were inspected and the presence of salmonella was found. Neither the company nor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or FDA have linked this specific recall with the current salmonella outbreak that was reported to have reached 11 states and caused 12 illnesses and three hospitalizations in the beginning of April, according to USA Today.
Which General Mills flours are recalled?
The recalled flours are two-, five- and 10-pound bags of its Gold Medal Unbleached and Bleached All Purpose Flour all with “better if used by” dates of March 27, 2024, and March 28, 2024 with the following package UPC numbers:
Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose 5LB Flour: Package UPC 000-16000-19610.
Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose 10LB Flour: Package UPC 000-16000-19580
Gold Medal Bleached All Purpose 2LB Flour: Package UPC 000-16000-10710
Gold Medal Bleached All Purpose 5LB Flour: Package UPC 000-16000-10610
The information can be found on their packaging. According to the recall, none of their other flour is affected by the recall.
As a general rule of thumb, the FDA and recommends people don’t eat any raw food that contains flour, such as raw cookie dough, crackers, pizza crust, etc. Baking, frying, sautéing or boiling naturally kills salmonella, so those raw foods could expose you to the bacteria (and it’s why you should clean your hands, utensils, and surfaces after handling flour or dough).
What should you do if you have any of the recalled flour?
The FDA urges people to check their pantries for the recalled flour and dispose it if you find it match the descriptions above. If you have recalled flour, contact General Mills’ consumer relations at 1-800-230-8103. There is no mention of a refund in the recall.
If you’ve consumed the flour and are concerned about illness, the FDA recommends you contact your physician. Symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, fever and abdominal pains start within six hours to six days after infection and can last four to seven days.