ADM Milling and ALDI expanded a recall of all-purpose flour packaged for the grocery store because state health officials who tested a bag found an E. coli strain linked to an outbreak in multiple states.
The companies, “out of an abundance of caution,” upped the recall from two lots to all 5-pound bags of Baker’s Corner all-purpose flour for Northeast ALDI stores in 11 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia.
The recall includes packages with all lot codes and best by dates in those states, the FDA says. The UPC code is 041498130404.
The flour was produced at a Buffalo, N.Y., mill. “ADM Milling is conducting an in-depth investigation to determine the cause of the contamination,” an announcement from Archer Daniels Midland Company says. The FDA is working with the companies to determine the contamination source and whether other lots of flour made at the mill need to be recalled, the agency says.
The Rhode Island Health Department used an unopened bag for a sample and found E. coli O26. Further DNA analysis found that the strain was closely related by whole genome sequencing to the strain that made 17 people ill, including three who were hospitalized, in eight states, according to the FDA.
People should throw away the flour or return it to ALDI for a refund.
Anyone with questions may call ADM Milling at 800-422-1688 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CDT Monday through Friday.