The E. coli O26 flour outbreak that was linked to recalled Aldi Baker’s Corner, Pillsbury bread, and King Arthur flour has ended with 21 people in 9 states sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Three people were hospitalized. There were no deaths.
The case count by state is: California (1), Connecticut (1), Massachusetts (2), Missouri (1), New Jersey (1), New York (7), Ohio (5), Pennsylvania (2), and Rhode Island (1). Illness onset dates ranged from 7 to 86 years. Of 20 people who provided information to investigators, 3 were hospitalized.
There were four recalls issued in relation to this outbreak, although no illnesses were linked to some of the products. They were recalled because they were made of the same lot of wheat used at ADM Milling to make the Aldi’s Baker’s Corner Flour that was first implicated in this outbreak. They are:
- Brand Castle, Sister’s Gourmet, and In the Mix cookie mixes were recalled on June 21, 2019. No illnesses were linked to this product.
- Pillbury’s Bread Flour was recalled on June 14, 2019. No illnesses were linked to this recalled product.
- King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour was recalled on June 13, 2019. No illnesses were associated with this recalled product.
- Aldi’s Baker’s Corner All-Purpose Flour was recalled on May 23, 2019. This product was linked to illnesses. Investigators at the Rhode Island Department of Health isolated the outbreak strain in an unopened bag of Aldi’s Baker’s Corner All-Purpose flour at a bakery in that state where an ill person reported eating raw dough.
Consumers should not use this flour and should throw it away in a sealed container in a secure garbage can. It is very easy for flour to cross-contaminate surfaces in the kitchen.
You can contact food safety attorney Fred Pritzker for help by calling 1-888-377-8900.
Whole genome sequencing showed that the E. coli O26 strain found in the Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour was closely related genetically to the E. coli O26 strain found in ill persons.
Symptoms of an E. coli infection include severe and painful abdominal cramps, a mild fever, vomiting, and diarrhea that is bloody and/or watery. People usually get sick three to four days after exposure to the pathogen. If you have used Aldi Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour in your home and have been ill with these symptoms, see your doctor. You may be part of this ADM Milling E. coli O26 flour outbreak.
