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Officials warn of flour recall

June 11, 2016

Officials are warning consumers to discard Gold Medal Flour and other products after e. coli contamination was found.
The recalled products were produced between Nov. 14, 2015 and Dec. 4, 2015 and were sold under three brand names: Gold Medal Flour, Signature Kitchens Flour and Gold Medal Wondra Flour, said Jennifer Brestel, spokeswoman for the Delaware Division of Public Health. The recalled products were sold in Safeway, Albertsons, Jewel, Shaws, Vons, United, Randalls, and Acme but none were shipped to Eastern Shore Safeway stores, she said. While no cases of infection have been reported in Delaware, cases have been reported in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, officials said.
DPH’s Health Systems Protection’s Office of Food Protection has confirmed that the products have been removed from Acme and Super G shelves in Delaware. 
The recalled UPC codes and better if used by dates of the affected products are:

  • 13.5 ounce Gold Medal Wondra (Package UPC 000-16000-18980; dates: 25FEB2017 thru 30MAR2017)
  • 2 pound Gold Medal All Purpose Flour (Package UPC 000-16000-10710; dates: 25MAY2017KC thru 03JUN2017KC)
  • 5 pound Gold Medal All Purpose Flour (Package UPC 000-16000-10610; dates: 25MAY2017KC, 27MAY2017KC thru 31MAY2017KC, 01JUN2017KC, 03JUN2017KC thru 05JUN2017KC, 11JUN2017KC thru 14JUN2017KC)
  • 10 pound Gold Medal All Purpose Flour (Package UPC 000-16000-10410; dates: 02JUN2017KC, 03JUN2017KC)
  • 10 pound Gold Medal All Purpose Flour – Banded Pack (Package UPC 000-16000-10410; dates: 03JUN2017KC, 04JUN2017KC, 05JUN2017KC)
  • 5 pound Gold Medal Unbleached Flour (Package UPC 000-16000-19610; dates: 25MAY2017KC, 27MAY2017KC, 03JUN2017KC, 04JUN2017KC)
  • 5 pound Signature Kitchens All Purpose Flour Enriched Bleached (Package UPC 000-21130-53001; dates: BB MAY 28 2017)
  • 5 pound Signature Kitchens Unbleached Flour All Purpose Enriched (Package UPC 000-21130-53022; dates: BB MAY 27 2017)
  • 2 pound Gold Medal Self-Rising Flour (Package UPC 000-16000-11710; dates: 23AUG2016KC)

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) warns against eating raw dough products made with any brand of flour or baking mix before cooking. Consumers should always practice safe food handling and preparation measures when handling flour. The FDA recommends following these safe food-handling practices to stay healthy:

  • Do not eat or play with any raw cookie dough or any other raw dough product made with flour that is intended to be cooked or baked.
  • Follow package directions on baking mixes and other flour-containing products for proper cooking temperatures and for specified times.
  • Wash hands, work surfaces, and utensils thoroughly after contact with raw dough products containing flour.
  • Keep raw foods separate from other foods while preparing them to prevent any contamination that might be present from spreading.

People usually get sick from STEC O121 two to eight days (average of three to four days) after swallowing the bacteria. Most people develop diarrhea (often bloody) and abdominal cramps. Most people recover within a week. Some illnesses last longer and can be more severe, resulting in a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS can occur in people of any age, but is most common in young children under 5 years old, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.
If you or a member of your family has consumed (or believe that you have consumed) one of the recalled products and are experiencing any of the symptoms above, Brestel said, seek medical attention.
Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, multiple states, and the U.S. FDA are investigating a multistate outbreak of e.coli.

  • 38 people infected with the outbreak strain of STEC O121 have been reported from 20 states. According to the CDC, Maryland has reported one case while two cases each have been reported in Pennsylvania and Virginia. There are no confirmed cases in Delaware at this time.
  • 10 ill people have been hospitalized. No one has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a type of kidney failure, and no deaths have been reported.

Collaborative investigative efforts indicate that flour produced at the General Mills facility in Kansas City, Mo., is a likely source of this outbreak.  DPH staff is working with the FDA and local partners to determine if any additional recalled products were shipped to Delaware. For further information on STEC O121, visit the CDC website athttp://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2016/o121-06-16/index.html.
For questions regarding the recalled products, contact the General Mills Consumer Hotline at 800-230-8103. For any questions regarding illness, contact your health care provider. For medical providers to report suspected cases of STEC O121 associated with consumption of the recalled food, call the DPH Office of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at 302-744-4990 or 24/7 at 888-295-5156.

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