Two grocery store chains say the parent company of Pillsbury is issuing a nationwide voluntary recall of bags of flour over salmonella concerns.
Publix and Winn-Dixie announced on Friday that Hometown Food Co is recalling more than 12,000 cases of Pillsbury Unbleached All Purpose Flour.
It’s currently unclear how or when the bacteria was discovered or when health officials were notified.
According to the Winn-Dixie recall notice, no customer has reported an illness from using the affected flour.
On Monday morning, the US Department of Agriculture Food Safety tweeted about the recall and simply warned consumers: ‘Do not eat.’
Two grocery chains announced that Hometown Food Co, the parent company of Pillsbury, is recalling more than 12,000 cases of Pillsbury Unbleached All Purpose Flour (pictured) due to salmonella concerns
In recall notices published on their websites, Publix and Winn-Dixie said the five-pound bags of flour have expiration dates of April 19, 2020 or April 20, 2020, and bear the lot numbers 8292 or 8293.
‘Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them,’ read the Publix recall notice in part. ‘These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase for a refund.’
The Winn-Dixie recall issued the same advice and to contact Grocers Customer Call Center at 1-866-946-6349 during business hours with any questions.
As of Monday evening, the recall has yet to be posted on the US Food and Drug Administration’s website.
Salmonella infections occur after eating raw meat and eggs or foods that are contaminated with the bacteria.
Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain that generally last between four and seven days.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), salmonella is the cause for 1.2 million illnesses, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 450 deaths in the US annually.
Most people can recover without treatment, although there are cases where antibiotics or IV fluids are needed.
The CDC says the US experienced more salmonella outbreaks in 2018 than in any year since at least 2005.
In June 2018, Kellogg voluntarily recalled its popular children’s cereal Honey Smacks, which was linked to a massive salmonella outbreak that infected 100 people.
In July 2018, Mondelez International recalled 16 varieties of Ritz Cracker Sandwiches and Ritz Bits products over salmonella risks, with two people falling ill.
That same month, Pepperidge Farm voluntarily recalled four types of Goldfish Crackers due to salmonella fears.
An outbreak of antibiotic-resistant salmonella linked to raw chicken sickened at least 92 people across 29 states, the CDC reported last October.
The outbreaks seem to have continued into 2019.
In January, General Mills issued a nationwide voluntary recall of bags of Gold Medal Unbleached Flour over salmonella concerns.
Additionally, Whole Foods recalled various items in eight states over fears they contained salmonella.