The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and General Mills Canada are recalling Betty Crockpot Super Moist Cake Mix Rainbow Bit for possible E. coli contamination. This is another secondary recall, since the product contains General Mills flour that has been recalled for contamination and is linked to an E. coli outbreak in the United States. No illnesses have been reported in connection with the consumption of this product. The recalled product is Betty Crocker Super Moist Cake Mix Rainbow Bit in 432 gram packages. The codes on the product are 27AL12017 PV, 08JN2017 PV, and 09JN2017 PV. The UPC number of the recalled product is 0 65633 46589 3. It was sold nationally at the retail level. If you purchased this product, do not use it, even if you bake a cake or cookies with it. … [Read more...]
Krusteaz Blueberry Pancake Mix Recalled for Possible E. coli O121
Continental Mills is recalling Krusteaz Blueberry Pancake Mix, which contains flour recalled by General Mills for possible E. coli O121 contamination. This is the second secondary recall of products using this flour. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the recall of this product, although there is a nationwide outbreak of E. coli O121 illnesses linked to General Mills flour. The recalled products include Krusteaz Blueberry Pancake Mix in a 28 ounce carton. The best by dates for that product are between 3/30/2018 and 6/16/2018. The UPC number for the product is 041449001289. The other recalled product is Krusteaz Blueberry Pancake Mix in a 3.5 pound bag. The best by date code on that product is either 4/27/2018 or 4/28/2018. The UPC number is 041449001487. The … [Read more...]
Kabob’s Acquisition Recalls Products Made with General Mills Flour
Food Poisoning Bulletin has received some questions about secondary recalls of products linked to the General Mills' flour recall for E. coli contamination. These recalls occur because an ingredient used to make those products has been recalled. This has started, with the recall of tons of raw, not-ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. Kabob's Acquisition is recalling 44,850 pounds of raw intact and heat treated, not-ready-to-eat meat and poultry products that were made with recalled General Mills flour. They may be adulterated with E. coli O121. The problem with products such as these is that cross-contamination can take place between the uncooked product and utensils, countertops, and other foods that are not cooked before they are consumed. In addition, these products could … [Read more...]
General Mills Expands Recall of Flour Linked to E. coli Outbreak
General Mills of Minneapolis, MN has expanded a recall of flour associated with a multistate E. coli outbreak that now includes 42 cases in 21 states. The expansion of the recall was triggered after a newly-reported illness was associated with raw dough or batter linked to flour produced last fall. Health officials from the FDA and the CDC warn consumers not to eat raw products containing flour as pathogens such as E. coli O121 are only eliminated by heat through baking, frying, sautéing or boiling foods to their proper temperatures. After handling raw products containing dough, people should wash hands, surfaces and utensils thoroughly. The recall expansion includes a 8 SKUs (stock keeping units or UPC codes) of Gold Medal Flour, 1 SKU of Signature Kitchens Flour and 1 SKU of Gold … [Read more...]
General Mills Flour E. coli Outbreak Expands: 42 Sick in 21 States
The E. coli outbreak linked to General Mills flour has expanded to include 42 people in 21 states, an increase of four cases and one state, Indiana, since the last update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the agency reported today. Also today, the Minneapolis-based company expanded the recall of Gold Medal Flour, Signature Kitchens Flour, and Gold Medal Wondra Flour to include additional lots. The recall expansion was triggered after a newly-reported illness was associated with raw dough or batter linked to flour produced last fall. Health officials have isolated the outbreak strain of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC O121) was isolated from samples of General Mills flour collected from the homes of people who were sickened in Arizona, Colorado, and … [Read more...]
FDA Issues Details of General Mills E. coli Outbreak Investigation
The FDA has issued details of their investigation into the E. coli O121 outbreak linked to recalled General Mills flour. Flour is not an ingredient most people connect with food poisoning, but it is a raw agricultural product and can be contamianted with pathogenic bacteria. One of the problems with recalls of flour is that many people do not keep this product in its original packaging. Most decant the flour into another container and discard the wrapping. But three people who were sickened in this outbreak kept the flour in its packaging, and helped the government track down the culprit in this outbreak. Multiple signals from the FDA's Coordinated Outbreak Response and Evaluation (CORE) network started coming in. The CDC identified a string of illnesses that started in December … [Read more...]
Don’t Eat Raw Dough for Food Safety Reasons
The FDA blog is focusing on raw dough today. The government is warning consumers that eating raw dough is risky and could give you food poisoning. While most people think that part of making cookies and cake is eating the raw dough or batter, you could get sick. Kids are especially vulnerable to serious complications from food poisoning, including kidney failure and death. The E. coli O121 outbreak linked to General Mills flour is a case in point. Flour is a raw agricultural product that can harbor pathogenic bacteria. Heat is the only thing that will kill those bacteria. A government investigation found that raw dough eaten or handled by some of those sickened was made with General Mills flour produced in their Kansas City, Missouri facility. Bacteria in a flour sample was linked to … [Read more...]
If Flour is Contaminated with E. coli Can You Still Use It?
The news about the General Mills flour E. coli O121 outbreak and the massive recall of their products has tapered off recently, with the exception of information that the FDA found E. coli O121 bacteria in an open bag of General Mills flour in the home of a patient sickened in this outbreak. The case count still stands at 38 sickened in 20 states, and the recall has not been updated. The news that bacteria that is "closely genetically related" to the outbreak strain of E. coli O121 that has made people sick is big news. That is an epidemiological link from the product to those who were sickened. But how many people have really gotten rid of the flour that was part of the recall? How many people decant their flour into another container and no longer have the bag with identifying … [Read more...]
General Mills Flour E. coli Outbreak Strikes 4 in Illinois
The E.coli outbreak linked to flours produced by General Mills has sickened four people in Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). The four individuals, who live in Chicago and Brown, suburban-Cook, and McHenry counties, are among the 38 people in 20 states who are part of the outbreak who developed E. coli infections after preparing, eating or handling food, dough or batter made with the contaminated flour. The outbreak, which hospitalized 10 people, triggered a 10 million-pound recall of flours sold under the brand names Gold Medal Flour, Gold Medal Wondra Flour, and Signature Kitchens Flour. Consumers who have purchased these products should not use them as E.coli can cause serious illness and death. Symptoms of an E. coli infection usually develop … [Read more...]
What Should You Do if You Bought General Mills Flour?
If you bought any of the General Mills flour products that are being recalled for possible E. coli O121 contamination, and that are linked to a multistate outbreak, you are probably pretty worried. It's unsettling to think that food in your home may be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. But don't panic. The first thing to do is to read through the list of recalled products and note the product size, the "better if used by" dates, and the UPC number. If these numbers don't match the products you have in your home, relax. If you do have a recalled product, immediately put it into a bag. Clean the area where you stored the flour with soap and water, then wash your hands. You can throw away the flour as long as it is placed in a sealed container so animals and other people can't … [Read more...]
