The Dave's Sushi morel mushroom outbreak has now sickened at least 41 people in Montana, according to the FDA's CORE Outbreak Investigation Table. The Table states that morel mushrooms are the suspect food in this outbreak. Two deaths have occurred in patrons of that establishment after eating there. The case count has increased to 41 from 30 since the last update was issued on May 3, 2023. In that investigation, traceback has been initiated, and sample collection and analysis has begun. The Gallatin City-County Health Department, which is also investigating the outbreak, says that ill persons ate at the restaurant between March 31 and April 17, 2023. Three patrons had "severe outcomes," including hospitalizations, and the deaths of two patrons are being investigated. No causative … [Read more...]
CDC Weighs In On Gold Medal Flour Salmonella Outbreak
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has weighed in on the Gold Medal flour Salmonella outbreak that has sickened at least 13 people in 12 states. Gold Medal unbleached and bleached all purpose flour with expiration dates of March 27 and 28, 2024 was recalled by the company on April 28, 2023, after testing found Salmonella Infantis in one type of flour. The case count by state is: California (1), Illinois (2), Iowa (1), Minnesota (1), Missouri (1), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (1), New York (1), Ohio (1), Oregon (1), Tennessee (1), and Virginia (1). Illness onset dates range from December 6, 2022 to March 1, 2023. The patient age range is from 12 to 81 years. Of 13 people who gave information to investigators, three have been hospitalized. That is a hospitalization rate … [Read more...]
Gold Medal Flour Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 13
A Gold Medal Flour Salmonella Infantis outbreak has sickened at least 13 people in 12 states, according to the FDA. Three people have been hospitalized because they are so ill. General Mills recalled two types of its flour on April 28, 2023 because Salmonella Infantis, the same strain as the pathogen that has sickened people, was found in one type of that flour. The case count by state is: California (1), Illinois (2), Iowa (1), Minnesota (1), Missouri (1), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (1), New York (1), Ohio (1), Oregon (1), Tennessee (1), and Virginia (1). The last illness onset date was March 1, 2023. This case count is almost identical to the one the CDC posted on March 30, 2023, about a Salmonella Infantis outbreak linked to an unnamed brand of flour, with 12 sick in 11 states. … [Read more...]
Gold Medal Salmonella Flour Recall: Associated With Outbreak?
A Gold Medal Salmonella flour recall has been issued by General Mills. Is this recall associated with the raw flour Salmonella outbreak announced last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? We don't know yet. The recall is for two, five, and 10-pound bags of Gold Medal Bleached and Unbleached All Purpose Flours. The flours have "better if used by" dates of March 27, 2024 and March 28, 2024. The five pound bag of Gold Medal Unbleached Flour has the UPC number 000-16000-19610. The 10 pound bag of Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose Flour has the UPC number 000-16000-19580. The two pound bag of Gold Medal Bleached Flour has the UPC number 000-16000-10710. And the five pound bag of Gold Medal Bleached All Purpose Flour has the UPC number 000-16000-10610. The recall … [Read more...]
Home Treated Flour May Not Be Safe Says Purdue Researcher
The risks of uncooked flour have been well documented through studies and food poisoning outbreaks linked to that ingredient. But many recipes, especially older ones, call for using flour that is not cooked. To be able to make these recipes without the risk of food poisoning, many sites have been advocating that home cooks treat their own flour. But a Purdue researcher says that home treated flour may not be safe after all. The typical "recipe" for treating raw flour at home is to spread it on a pan and microwave it or bake it in the oven until it reaches 160°F, the temperature at which E. coli and other pathogens are destroyed. Purdue food scientist Yoahua "Betty" Feng states that those treatments are not guaranteed to make the flour safe. She says that while heating meats or … [Read more...]
Gold Medal Unbleached Flour Recalled For E. coli O26 Contamination
General Mills is recalling five pound bags of Gold Medal unbleached flour with a "better if used by" date of September 6, 2020 for possible E. coli O26 contamination. No "direct consumer reports of confirmed illnesses related to this product" have been received to date. The pathogen was found during routine sampling. The UPC number on the product is 016000 196100. Just this one date code of Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose Flour in five pound bags, 06SEP2020KC, is recalled. All other types of Gold Medal flour are not affected by this recall. Check your pantry to see if you have this flour. If so, throw it away in a sealed container in a secure garbage can with a tight fitting lid so other people and animals can't access it. You can also take it back to the place of purchase … [Read more...]
FDA Finds E. coli O121 in Bag of Gold Medal Flour
The FDA has released a statement confirming that they found E. coli O121 isolates from an open sample of General Mills flour belonging to a consumer who was sickened with the pathogenic bacteria. The government used whole genome sequencing to analyze the E. coli bacteria. The isolate was closely genetically related to the clinical isolates taken from sick people. The flour came from a lot that General Mills has recalled. At least 38 people in 20 states have been sickened with the outbreak strain of E. coli O121. Ten people have been hospitalized because their illnesses are so severe. Some of those who got sick had eaten or handled raw dough. The case count by state is: Alabama (1), Arkansas (1), Arizona (2), California (1), Colorado (4), Iowa (1), Illinois (4) Massachusetts (2), … [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...]
Flour and Other Contaminated Foods: Food Defect Action Levels
The recall of Gold Medal flour for possible E. coli O121 contamination and the outbreak that is associated with those products reminded me of my food safety classes at the University of Minnesota. The CDC stated tonight that "collaborative investigative efforts indicate that flour produced at the General Mills facility in Kansas City, Missouri is a likely source of this outbreak." While E. coli bacteria in flour may seem unlikely to many, it does happen. And foods do contain "icky" ingredients in addition to bacteria. Most people don't know that there are allowable levels of "unavoidable defects" in food and that the FDA has set these levels to below what would make an average person ill. Those "defects" include the presence of insect filth, maggots, insect eggs, mold, grit, rust, and … [Read more...]
Should You Be Worried About the Gold Medal E. coli Flour Recall?
Whenever a well known product, such as Gold Medal flour, is recalled for possible pathogenic bacteria contamination and is associated with an outbreak, we receive many emails and messages from worried people. While it's true that bacteria are everywhere, discovering that a product you use may contain bacteria that could make you and your family seriously ill is upsetting. Controls are supposed to be in place to make our food supply as safe as it could be, but it is impossible to ensure that every bite we eat is completely safe. Most corporations do follow the law and market safe foods, but there are some that run a sloppy operation and even some company owners who have been negligent about the safety of their products, such as the owners of the Peanut Corporation of America. So … [Read more...]
