Flour Products Recalled for E. coli Contamination

Flour products from Hodgson Mill and UNFI Wild Harvest have been voluntarily recalled due to possible E. coli contamination. According to a Newsweek report, Hodgson Mill announced a recall of its five-pound bags of Unbleached All-Purpose White Wheat Flour with best-by dates of Oct. 1 and Oct. 2, 2020. UNFI has announced a recall of its five-pound bags of Wild Harvest Organic All-Purpose Unbleached Flour with a best-by date of Jan. 8, 2020. So far, neither company has reported any illness as a result of these products.

This recall comes after more than 75,000 pounds of romaine lettuce were recalled for a similar E. coli outbreak. As of last week, there have been 67 reported incidents of food poisoning as a result of that outbreak, and six people have reported acute kidney failure, due to the outbreak. The romaine products that were affected include both heads of lettuce and pre-cut lettuce products.

E.Coli Symptoms and Dangers

E. coli can cause serious and sometimes life-threatening infections especially among vulnerable populations such as the elderly, infants, pregnant woman and individuals with compromised immune systems. The most common symptoms of E. coli are bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting and nausea, which could develop within three or four days of eating contaminated food. E. coli bacteria are destroyed by baking, frying, sautéing or boiling products made with flour. In some cases, an E. coli infection could turn into a condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome or HUS, a severe illness that could cause kidney failure.

Flour Products Can Pose Risks

According to food safety experts, cookie dough, pizza dough, cake and pancake batters pose a risk of bacterial infections. So, you should be careful not to eat them before they are cooked. It is important to remember that raw dough can make you sick even if you do not eat it. For example, kneading bread dough often leaves you with floury hands, which could be a problem if the flour is contaminated. Even storing uncooked dough next to other food could pose a risk.

If you or a loved one has become sick as a result of these or other products, you may be able to seek compensation for the injuries, damages and losses you have suffered. You may be able to file a food poisoning lawsuit against the manufacturer, retailer, restaurant that served the food and other potential parties. An experienced food poisoning lawyer will be able to help you better understand your legal rights and options.

Source: https://www.newsweek.com/flour-recall-november-2019-e-coli-1474890