Miller Magazine Issue: 115 July 2019

38 NEWS MILLER / JULY 2019 Pillsbury, King Arthur Flour, Aldi recall products over E. coli outbreak Several American brands of flour have been re- called from the market due to fear of E. Coli con- tamination. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 17 people have been infected with the strain of E. coli O26 in eight states from Dec. 2018 until April 2019.Several Products have been recalled while the investigation is on. “Epidemiologic and laboratory evidence indicates flour is a likely source of this outbreak,” said CDC. The CDC said in a food safety alert on its website on June 15 that two lots of Pillsbury Best Bread Flour, three lots of King Arthur Flour, and all 5-lb. bags of Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour have been recalled. Authorities have requested that customers not use these products. “Consumers should not use any of the recalled flour. Throw it out. If you stored flour in another container without the packaging and don’t remem- ber the brand or “use by” date, throw it away. Thoroughly wash the container before using it again,” said Centers for Disease Control and Pre- vention (CDC). E. coli symptoms may include stom- ach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. Sickness usually occurs 3-4 days after ingestion, and recovery time is approximately a week. E.Coli infections are usually diagnosed by testing a stool sample. A company announcement post- ed as public service on the Food and Drug Administration website said that two specific lot codes of its Pillsbury Best 5 lb, man- ufactured by ADM Milling Co., at the company’s mill in Buffalo, New York, have been voluntari- ly recalled. “Approximately 4,620 cases of impacted Pillsbury® Best 5 lb. Bread Flour were distribut- ed to a limited number of retail- ers and distributors across the following 10 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia,” said the company announcement by Hometown Food Company. ADM said it has been cooperat- ing with regulators after discovering in May that a multi-state E.coli outbreak was traced back to wheat produced at its Buffalo facility. The company said the wheat was used to produce flour for ALDI, King Arthur and Pillsbury. CDC said that consumers can identify recalled flour by the lot codes and use-by dates. It advised people not to eat raw flour as it can make them sick and to clean up bowls, utensils, and other surfaces with warm water and soap after baking. A new flour recall is in effect in U.S. following an outbreak of E. coli in- fections linked to the product in eight states. The recall covers about 4,620 cases of the product, which was sold in stores across Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.