Gold Medal Flour Recall: Certain Products Pulled Over Salmonella Concerns

General Mills is voluntarily recalling certain bleached and unbleached Gold Medal-branded flour products because they may be contaminated with salmonella. Affected customers are being advised to get rid of the recalled products from their pantries.

The recalled flour products may be contaminated with Salmonella Infantis, according to the company announcement on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website. The potential contamination was reportedly discovered upon a sampling of a 5-pound bag.

Of the more than 2,500 salmonella serotypes, Salmonella Infantis is said to be among the "major emerging serotypes" that have been associated with several outbreaks in poultry and humans. This has made it a growing public concern.

"Healthy persons infected with Salmonella Infantis, a bacteria, often experience nausea, diarrhea, fever and abdominal pains," the announcement noted. "The CDC estimates there are 1.2 million cases annually in the U.S."

The recall affects certain Gold Medal flour products with "better if used by" date codes of "27MAR2024 and 28MAR2024."

This includes the Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose Flour in 5-pound bags with a package UPC of 000-16000-19610 and the 10-pound bags of the same product with a package UPC of 000-16000-19580. Also affected are the Gold Medal Bleached All Purpose Flour in 2-pound bags with a UPC of 000-16000-10710 and 5-pound bags with a UPC of 000-16000-10610.

"All other types of Gold Medal Flour are not affected by this recall," the company clarified.

Photos of the affected products' packaging are available on both the FDA and General Mills' websites. The issuance is a "voluntary national recall." Walmart, for instance, has provided a list of the stores in which the affected flours were sold at.

Customers who find that they are in possession of the recalled flour products are being advised to dispose of them. They may then contact General Mills at 1-800-230-8103.

The company is also reminding its consumers that "flour is not a ready-to-eat ingredient" so they shouldn't eat it or any raw products with flour like raw dough and cake batter. This is because flour isn't generally treated to kill bacteria, so it may contain bacteria that can cause disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Instead, bacteria — including Salmonella Infantis — are killed by heat during the "kill steps" in the food preparation process like baking, frying or roasting. In foods like raw dough, these "kill steps" hadn't been utilized.

This is also why it's important to wash one's hands and clean all surfaces and utensils after touching raw flour or dough.

"Typically, symptoms start within six hours to six days after infection and last four to seven days," the company noted. "Any consumers concerned about an illness should contact a physician."