Flour Recall Due to E. Coli Expanded: Includes Top Grocery Stores Around Nation

General Mills has expanded its recall of 10 million pounds of flour under the Gold Medal brand across the country over potential E. coli contamination.

Because of four new confirmed illnesses, General Mills is adding additional flour production dates to the U.S. retail flour recall that was originally announced on May 31, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The illnesses reported to health officials continue to be connected with consumers reporting that they ate or handled uncooked dough or ate uncooked batter made with raw flour. No illnesses have been connected with flour that has been properly baked, cooked or handled, according to the FDA.

The Gold Medal product, which was shipped nationwide, was connected to an outbreak that sickened 38 people earlier this year. According to Food Safety News, General Mills said the expansion covers 15 million pounds of product, bringing the total to 45 million pounds.

The recall includes Signature Kitchens products sold at such retailers as Safeway, Stop & Shop, Albertsons, Jewel, Shaws, Vons, United, Randalls and Acme, General Mills reported. Products included in the recall include both unbleached flour and bleached flour.

Read more: Nationwide Flour Recall Issued Over E. Coli Concerns

Although most strains of E. coli are harmless, others can make you sick, according to the FDA.

Some strains of E. coli create potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. Seniors, the very young, and persons with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness. Guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) can be found on the FDA website and the CDC website.

“As a leader in flour production for 150 years, General Mills is committed to convening experts to work with government officials to learn more and create new protocols, if needed,” General Mills President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Harmening said in an FDA release. “Most importantly, we want all the avid home bakers out there to have peace of mind and know the most important thing they can do to keep safe is to not eat uncooked flour.”

The new recall applies only to the specific product and date codes listed below:

Photo: Mike Mozart via Flickr