Gold Medal Flour Recalled After Link to Salmonella Outbreak

Several lots of Gold Medal brand all-purpose flour were recalled on April 28 after investigators connected them to an April outbreak of salmonella that sickened 13 people in 12 states, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Six people who became ill and remembered the brand of flour they used told the FDA it was Gold Medal. The FDA identified the specific salmonella strain connected to the outbreak from samples obtained at the factory where the flour was being produced.

The manufacturer, General Mills, has issued a nationwide recall of 2-, 5-, and 10-pound bags of Gold Medal Bleached and Unbleached All Purpose Flour with “better if used by” dates of March 27 and 28, 2024.

The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to investigate this salmonella outbreak linked to raw flour.

“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” the CDC said in a March 30 statement.

“This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for salmonella,” the CDC said. “In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes three to four weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.”

So far, salmonella cases linked to flour have been identified in California, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and Virginia, the CDC said. The first case occurred on December 6, 2022. To date, three people have been hospitalized, but there have been no reported deaths linked to the outbreak.

Uncooked Dough or Batter With Flour Named as the Common Denominator

Most people reported eating raw dough or batter made with flour before they got sick, the CDC said. Flour was the only common ingredient in the raw dough or batter people reported eating. Investigators identified Gold Medal flour as the specific brand linked to the illnesses.

Any unbaked flour used to make dough or batter can be contaminated with germs like salmonella, but salmonella germs are killed when flour is cooked or baked, the CDC said. This means it’s possible to get salmonella from handling or eating raw dough, but not from consuming baked goods, the CDC explained.

How to Prevent Food Poisoning From Salmonella

The CDC offered consumers the following tips to minimize their risk of getting sick from salmonella in flour.

• Don’t eat raw dough or batter. Even a small amount can make you sick.
• Wash bowls, utensils, and surfaces that touch flour with warm water and soap.
• Wash your hands before and after handling flour.
• Keep flour, batter, and dough separate from foods that won’t be cooked.

What Are the Symptoms of Salmonella Infection?

Most people who get infected with salmonella will experience symptoms including diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps within six hours to six days of exposure, the CDC said. Some people — especially young children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems — are more likely to experience severe illness and require hospitalization.

People should contact a healthcare provider right away if they have any of these symptoms, the CDC advised.

• Diarrhea with a fever higher than 102 degrees F
• Diarrhea for more than three days that doesn’t get better
• Bloody diarrhea
• Vomiting that makes it impossible to keep down fluids
• Signs of dehydration like not peeing much, a dry mouth and throat, or dizziness when standing up