WASHINGTON — General Mills is voluntarily recalling 5-pound bags of Gold Medal Unbleached Flour because of the potential presence of Salmonella.

The recall was issued after a sampling and no consumers have contacted the company about Salmonella, according to a statement by the Food & Drug Administration.

Only one date code of Gold Medal Unbleached Flour 5-pound bags is affected by the recall:

  • Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose 5LB Flour
    Package UPC: 000-16000-19610-0
    Recalled Better if Used by Date: 20APR2020KC

If you find the product in your home, it should be discarded, according to the FDA, which noted that the product may not be a recent purchase and may already be in use by customers.

 

"We are continuing to educate consumers that flour is not a 'ready to eat' ingredient. Anything you make with flour must be cooked or baked before eating," Jim Murphy, President of General Mills Meals and Baking Division, said in a statement.

A number of products in 2018 were reported to have caused Salmonella across the country, including breakfast cereal, snack crackers, and one manufacturer's pork and chicken products. Over 206 million eggs were recalled in April of last year by an Indiana farm because of potential Salmonella poisoning.

According to the CDC, most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after being exposed to the bacteria. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment.

In some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other places in the body. In rare cases, Salmonella infection can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics.

It affects children younger than 5 years of age, adults older than 65 years of age, and people with weakened immune systems the most.

Consumers who have had to discard products covered by this recall may contact General Mills Consumer Relations at 1-800-230-8103 or visit generalmills.com.

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