Gold Medal Flour Recalled Due to Salmonella Outbreak

Gold Medal Flour has been identified as the source of a recent Salmonella outbreak. Here’s what you need to know.

A salmonella outbreak tied to Gold Medal Flour has made people sick. 

Don’t bust out your baking pans just yet! If you’ve recently bought Gold Medal flour, you need to be aware that this product was identified as the source of a recent salmonella outbreak.

As a result, Gold Medal has issued a nationwide voluntary recall of some of its products. The recalled bags include the following:

• 2 lb. bag of Gold Medal All-Purpose Bleached Flour  (UPC: 000-16000-10710)
• 5 lb. bag of Gold Medal All-Purpose Bleached Flour  (UPC: 000-16000-10610)
• 5 lb. bag of Gold Medal All-Purpose Unbleached Flour (UPC: 000-16000-19610)
• 10 lb. bag of Gold Medal All-Purpose Unbleached Flour (UPC: 000-16000-19580)

All of the bags have a “Best If Used By Date” of March 27 or 28, 2024. The bleached flour comes with a blue stripe on the front of the packaging while the unbleached flour comes with a brown stripe.

How many people were sick due to the Gold Medal salmonella outbreak?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 13 people in 12 different states have become sick after eating this flour. However, the CDC estimates the true number is most likely higher. This is because many people get seek and do not seek healthcare. For those who do seek healthcare, there can be a 3-4 week delay between reporting the illness and when the infection is linked to the product and strain of salmonella.

Though there have been no deaths reported, 3 individuals did require hospitalization. So far, the CDC has interviewed 8 of the 13 people. Of the people interviewed, 88% reported becoming sick after eating raw batter.

Guidelines from both the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control suggest that individuals refrain from eating raw food made with flour. They also instruct to wipe down any countertops or utensils that have touched raw flour.

If you love to bake, don’t worry. Salmonella can be killed by boiling, frying, baking, or sautéing the flour. Just make sure to do one of those four cooking methods before tasting your recipe!

What are the symptoms of salmonella infection?

According to John Hopkins University, symptoms begin to occur 12 to 72 hours after contact. However, they can start as early as 6 hours and last up to 7 days. These symptoms include:

• diarrhea
• abdominal cramps
• fever
• nausea or vomiting
• chills
• headache

If you experience these symptoms after eating Gold Medal flour, let your healthcare professional know.

What should you do if you bought one of the recalled bags of Gold Medal flour?

Throw it away immediately. If you’d like to report that you have discarded the product, you can call General Mills Consumer Relations at 1-800-230-8103.

If you found this notice helpful, make sure to check out our other recent news stories!