General Mills Recalls Gold Medal Flour Due to E. coli O121 Outbreak Link
General Mills is recalling Gold Medal flour products due to a potential link to a multistate E. coli O121 outbreak, although the bacteria has not been found in the products.
The agency’s classification
FDA (Food): Class I
Class I is a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.
This is the agency’s own classification, taken from its notice. The severity score below is our assessment, not the agency’s. How recall classes work
What this means for you
Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).
The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.
Our severity reasoning: The agency classified this recall as Class I — a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure to a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death. On that classification alone this is scored Severe; a score of Critical is reserved for recalls where a death or serious injury was reported. The agency gives the reason as: "General Mills is recalling a number of products because of a multistate outbreak of E. coli O121 that may be potentially linked to Gold Medal flour, Wondra flour, and Signature Kitchens flour. To date, E. coli O121 has not been found in…"
Plain-English summary
General Mills, Inc. is recalling specific lots of Gold Medal Hotel & Restaurant Bakers Self-Rising Enriched Flour Bleached. The recall is being conducted because of a multistate outbreak of E. coli O121 that may be potentially linked to Gold Medal flour, Wondra flour, and Signature Kitchens flour.
The affected product is the 25 lb Gold Medal Hotel & Restaurant Bakers Self-Rising Enriched Flour Bleached with Unit UPC 100-16000-14318. The specific code dates or production dates for the recalled units are 16NOV2015KC, 02DEC2015KC, and 03DEC2015KC. A total of 614,478 units were distributed.
To date, E. coli O121 has not been found in any General Mills flour products or in the flour manufacturing facility. The company has not been contacted directly by any consumer reporting confirmed illnesses related to these products. The distribution pattern includes all states in the US including PR, US Virgin Islands, Guam, and Northern Mariana Islands, except Alaska and South Dakota. The product was also distributed to Aruba, Hong Kong, China, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Bermuda, Curacao, and Haiti.
The recalled product
- Product
- 25 lb Gold Medal Hotel & Restaurant Bakers Self-Rising Enriched Flour Bleached Unit UPC 100-16000-14318 Code Dates/Production Dates 16NOV2015KC, 02DEC2015KC, 03DEC2015KC.
- Manufacturer
- General Mills, Inc
- Category
- Food — Flour
- Hazard
- Affected units
- 614,478
Is your product affected?
Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.
Lot numbers (3)
- 16NOV2015KC
- 02DEC2015KC
- 03DEC2015KC.
Distribution
Part of a larger recall action
This product is one of 10 recalled by General Mills, Inc under a single FDA (Food) recall action. The agency files each product separately, so the size of the action is not visible from this page alone.
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