Staff report
King Arthur Flour issued a recall for 14,218 cases (more than 85,000 bags) of 5 lb. unbleached all-purpose flour due to the potential presence of Escherichia coli bacteria (E. coli).
The Norwich-based company announced Thursday, June 13, that it was issuing the voluntary recall for some of its flour sold through retailers and distributors across the country, according to the company’s news release.
King Arthur was informed by ADM Milling Co., a Buffalo-based company, that certain wheat used to make these lots of King Arthur flour has been linked to an ongoing outbreak of E. coli infections. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with King Arthur flour, according to the FDA news release.
King Arthur Flour decided to issue the recall out of “an abundance of caution,” Adams said.
“Consumer safety is our top priority, and therefore, we are voluntarily recalling these specific lots of Unbleached All-Purpose Flour to prevent potential illnesses. We are committed to educating and reminding consumers that flour is not ready-to-eat, and anything made with flour must be baked before eating,” the news release continued.
Last month, ADM Milling issued a voluntary recall for five-pound bags of Aldi’s Bakers Corner All Purpose Flour because of E. coli concerns.
The only product affected by this voluntary recall is King Arthur’s Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (5 lb.) from these six specific lot codes and three Best Used by Dates, which can be found on the bottom of the side panel, below the nutrition facts panel.
BEST USED BY 12/07/19 LOT: L18A07C
BEST USED BY 12/08/19 LOTS: L18A08A, L18A08B
BEST USED BY 12/14/19 LOTS: L18A14A, L18A14B, L18A14C
No products sold through the King Arthur’s website, Baker’s Catalogue, or the Baker’s Store in Norwich were included in the voluntary recall.
E. coli causes a diarrheal illness often with bloody stools. Although most healthy adults can recover completely within a week, some people can develop a form of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS is most likely to occur in young children and the elderly. The condition can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.
Consumers are reminded to wash their hands, work surfaces, and utensils thoroughly after contact with raw dough products or flour, and to never eat raw dough or batter. Consumers who have any of the affected products should not consume them and should throw them away or return them to the place of purchase for credit or refund. For more information visit cdc.gov/features/no-raw-dough/index.html or visit kingarthurflour.com/voluntaryrecall.
