FOOD RECALL ALERT: Flour Sold in Illinois Has Already Caused 2 Illnesses

There have been 13 illnesses reported nationwide, including 2 in Illinois, apparently linked to an outbreak of salmonella in a popular brand of flour.

The number of sick people connected to this outbreak is likely higher

According to an alert from the Centers for Disease Control, there have been 12 different states reporting salmonella illnesses from December 2022 through March 1, 2023.

After an investigation by the CDC, the source of the multi-state outbreak was traced to Gold Medal brand flour which the General Mills company voluntarily recalled their 2lb, 5lb, and 10lb bags of bleached and unbleached all-purpose flour.

State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the eight people interviewed, seven (88%) reported eating raw dough or batter. Of six sick people with brand information, all six (100%) reported buying Gold Medal

brand flour. The only brand reported was Gold Medal.

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How do I know if my Gold Medal flour is on the recall list?

If your package UPC has any of these codes, throw out your flour:

• Gold Medal Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 5lb bag
• Gold Medal Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 10lb bag
• Gold Medal Bleached All-Purpose Flour 2lb bag
• Gold Medal Bleached All-Purposed Flour 5lb bag

For consumers who immediately put their flour into another container and throw out the packaging, the CDC is urging those individuals to throw out the flour and "wash the container thoroughly with warm water and soap before using it again."

What is salmonella and how can you avoid it? CLICK HERE.

Symptoms of illness caused by Salmonella may include:

• headache
• muscle aches
• diarrhea
• vomiting
• abdominal cramping
• chills
• fever
• nausea
• dehydration

These symptoms are usually experienced 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. Children younger than five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe infections.