Elevated risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour recall: Potential presence of E.coli

Recall published 7+ years ago

Potential presence of E.coli

The hazard: E. coli contamination

This is an E. coli recall. It takes very few of these bacteria to cause illness, so a small taste is not a safe test.

What the notice says: Potential presence of E.coli

Why it matters: Shiga toxin-producing E. coli causes a more severe illness than most food poisoning, and in a minority of cases it damages the kidneys. Very small numbers of bacteria are enough to make someone ill.

Symptoms and when to call a doctor

The CDC describes symptoms as severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea that is often bloody, and vomiting, typically starting three to four days after exposure. Most people get better within a week. A small proportion — most often young children and older adults — develop haemolytic uraemic syndrome, a form of kidney failure that needs hospital treatment. Call a doctor for bloody diarrhoea, diarrhoea lasting more than three days, a fever above 102°F, vomiting that prevents you keeping liquids down, or signs of dehydration. The CDC advises against taking anti-diarrhoeal medicine for a suspected E. coli infection unless a doctor tells you to.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you feel unwell, a clinician who can see you is the only person able to judge your case.

Recall details

Published
May 24, 2019
Risk level
Elevated risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Baker’s Corner
Product type
Grains & cereal
Distribution
Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia
Sold at
Aldi

Products covered by this recall

All Purpose Flour

What the company announced

ADM Milling Co. is recalling all five-pound bags of Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour packaged for ALDI in select markets because of the potential presence of E.coli, which was discovered during testing of a five-pound bag of Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour by the Rhode Island Department of Health.

This E.coli strain found in the bag has been linked to 17 illness in eight states. The food source of the E.coli strain for all cases remains under investigation, but out of an abundance of caution, ADM is expanding its previous recall notice of only two specific lots to include all Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour five-pound bags currently in distribution that were manufactured for ALDI at ADM’s flour mill in Buffalo, New York. The recall includes products distributed in select stores in 11 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia.

ADM Milling is working directly with ALDI, which has already recalled all potentially impacted products from store shelves in the region. ADM Milling is conducting an in-depth investigation to determine the cause of the contamination and is working closely with regulators throughout this process.

ADM reminds customers and consumers that flour is not ready-to-eat and must be thoroughly cooked before eating to prevent illness from possible bacteria in the flour. Do not eat or play with raw dough, and wash hands, utensils and surfaces after handling. Any consumers concerned about an illness should contact a physician.

If customers have product affected by this voluntary recall, they should discard it immediately or return it to their local ALDI store for a full refund. Please direct any customer inquiries for ADM Milling to 800-422-1688 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Central Time Monday through Friday.

About ADM

For more than a century, the people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) have transformed crops into products that serve the vital needs of a growing world. Today, we’re one of the world’s largest agricultural processors and food ingredient providers, with approximately 40,000 employees serving customers in nearly 200 countries. With a global value chain that includes approximately 450 crop procurement locations, more than 330 food and feed ingredient manufacturing facilities, 62 innovation centers and the world’s premier crop transportation network, we connect the harvest to the home, making products for food, animal feed, industrial and energy uses. Learn more at www.adm.com .

Reproduced from the company announcement posted on fda.gov. Links and contact forms in the original are not repeated here; the official notice below has them.

Check your product

The notice names 1 code you can read straight off the package. Type the one printed on yours and the list below narrows to it.

Package size

Match the net weight or the piece count on the front of the pack.

  • 5 lb

Codes are lifted verbatim from the FDA — Company recall announcements notice. A code that is missing here may still be covered — the official notice is the complete list.

What to do about E. coli

Baker’s Corner — This is an E. coli recall. It takes very few of these bacteria to cause illness, so a small taste is not a safe test.

  1. Stop eating it now and keep it away from children.
  2. If anyone has bloody diarrhoea, call a doctor the same day and say the word recall. Do not reach for an anti-diarrhoeal first.
  3. Keep an eye on young children for a week after exposure, including after the diarrhoea stops, because kidney complications appear late.
  4. Seal it in a bag and throw it out, or return it to the store for a refund.

How to get your money back

Food recalls carry a full refund, and in the United States you usually do not need the receipt or the packaging.

  • Take the product, or your photo of the label, to the customer service desk of the store where you bought it. Nearly every national grocer refunds recalled food on the spot.
  • Bought it online? Open the order in your account and use the refund option; marketplace sellers are required to honour a federal recall.
  • If the store refuses, contact the recalling company using the details on this page. The firm, not the shop, carries the cost of a recall.
  • If you have a loyalty card, the retailer can look the purchase up in your history — Kroger, Costco and Walmart all do this routinely.

Remedy named in the notice: If customers have product affected by this voluntary recall, they should discard it immediately or return it to their local ALDI store for a full refund.

Company contact: ADM Milling Co. — Consumers: ADM Milling, 800-422-1688 — Media: Jackie Anderson, 312-634-8484, [email protected]

The official notice

This page summarises a notice published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency notice is the authoritative version — read it before you act, and treat it as the final word if anything here looks different.

Open the FDA — Company recall announcements record U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls

Questions people ask about this recall

Why was Baker’s Corner grains & cereal recalled?

Potential presence of E.coli Potential presence of E.coli

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

The notice does not publish package codes for this recall. Compare the product name, size and the purchase window against the official FDA — Company recall announcements record, and contact the company if you are unsure.

What should I do with it right now?

Stop eating it now and keep it away from children.

Can I get my money back?

The notice says: If customers have product affected by this voluntary recall, they should discard it immediately or return it to their local ALDI store for a full refund.

Which states were affected?

The notice lists Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia.

Related recalls