General Mills' Gold Medal flour recalled over salmonella concerns

General Mills is recalling some of its Gold Medal flour nationwide as federal authorities say the brand is to blame for a recent salmonella outbreak.

The voluntary recall affects 2-, 5- and 10-pound bags of Gold Medal unbleached and bleached all-purpose flour with "better if used by" dates of March 27, 2024, and March 28, 2024. General Mills said consumers should throw away these bags if they have them in their pantry and call 800-230-8103.

No other Gold Medal products are affected by the recall.

There have been 13 reported salmonella illnesses — including three hospitalizations — linked to raw flour since the outbreak was detected in late March.

The CDC announced Monday that "interviews with sick people and laboratory data show that Gold Medal flour contaminated with salmonella has made people sick."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration found the outbreak strain of salmonella in flour collected from a General Mills facility in Missouri.

The company announced the recall Friday. The federal agencies notified the public of the link to the salmonella outbreak on Monday.

"Do not eat raw dough or batter — even a small amount can make you or your child sick," the CDC says. "Flour doesn't look like a raw food, but most flour is raw. This means that it hasn't been treated to kill germs that cause food poisoning."

General Mills said in a statement "food safety is our top priority" and that "we are continuing to educate consumers that flour is not a 'ready to eat' ingredient."

Salmonella affects more than a million Americans per year and is characterized by diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Symptoms can begin six hours to six days following infection; most cases resolve without treatment within a week.

"The true number of sick people is likely higher than the number reported" in the current outbreak, the CDC said. "This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for salmonella."