Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Flour
Posted June 7, 2023
This outbreak is over. Learn what you can do to prevent getting sick from flour.
Fast Facts
- Illnesses: 14
- Hospitalizations: 3
- Deaths: 0
- States: 13
- Recall: Yes
- Investigation status: Closed
Recalled Food
On April 28, 2023, General Mills voluntarily issued a nationwide recall of 2-pound, 5-pound, and 10-pound bags of Gold Medal Bleached and Unbleached All-Purpose Flour with “Better if Used By” dates of March 27, 2024, and March 28, 2024. The recalled products included the following Package Universal Product Codes (UPC):
| Recalled Product | Package UPC |
|---|---|
| Gold Medal Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (5 lb bag) | 000-16000-19610 |
| Gold Medal Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (10 lb bag) | 000-16000-19580 |
| Gold Medal Bleached All-Purpose Flour (2 lb bag) | 000-16000-10710 |
| Gold Medal Bleached All-Purpose Flour (5 lb bag) | 000-16000-10610 |
What You Should Do
- Do not use any recalled flour. Throw it away or return it to where you bought it.
- If you stored recalled flour in another container, throw the flour away and wash the container thoroughly with warm water and soap before using it again.
- Bake
- Always bake or cook food made with any brand of raw flour, like cookie dough or cake batter, before eating it. Do not bake or cook recalled flour.
- Follow the recipe or package instructions for cooking or baking flour that hasn’t been recalled. Use the temperature and cooking time given in the recipe or instructions.
- Do not let children play with or eat raw dough, including dough for crafts.
- Clean
- Wash any bowls, utensils, and surfaces that touched raw flour with warm water and soap.
- Wash your hands with warm water and soap before and after using raw flour.
- Separate
- Keep raw flour, dough, and batter separate from foods that won’t be cooked.
- Call a healthcare provider right away if you or your child have any of these severe Salmonella symptoms:
- Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
- Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
- Bloody diarrhea
- So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
- Signs of dehydration, such as:
- Not peeing much
- Dry mouth and throat
- Feeling dizzy when standing up
What Businesses Should Do
- Do not sell recalled flour.
- Wash and sanitize items and surfaces that may have come in contact with recalled flour.
Symptoms of Salmonella
- Most people infected with Salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
- Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria.
- Most people recover without treatment after 4 to 7 days.
- Some people—especially children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems—may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.
- For more information about Salmonella, see the Salmonella Questions and Answers page
