We expect the products we buy and consume to be safe for our use and consumption. Unfortunately, that is not always the case and sometimes the products we buy pose potential risks to our health or safety. When a potential hazard associated with a product becomes known, it is common for the producer of the product to issue a recall to warn consumers of the potential issue. Recently, the producer of a popular brand of flour has issued a recall.

The flour effected by the recall is General Mill’s Gold Medal Bleached All Purpose Flour. The recall comes after concerns that the flour may be contaminated with E. coli O26. The bags of flour that are included in the recall are the five pound bags that are stamped with a “better if used by September 6, 2020.” The only bags of flour that are included in the recall are the bags that are stamped with this date. The company has voluntarily recalled the flour and has not received any confirmed illnesses linked to the flour.

People who consume foods contaminated with E. coli can become sick following their consumption. For this strain of E. coli, people typically become ill with three to four days after consuming the food that has been contaminated with E. coli. The symptoms of the sickness include diarrhea and cramps. Most people who contract E. coli will recover within a week.

This recall comes after other flours were recalled in May 2019 due to potential contamination with E. coli O26. During this recall, at least 21 people from across the country were infected. If you have the flour that is included in the recall.