ADM manufactures King Arthur Flour in its Buffalo, New York facility, along with ALDI’s Baker’s Corner and Hometown Food Company’s Pillsbury Best Bread Flour.
All three of these brands endured a recall earlier this year, due to potential E. coli contamination. The same strain was found in the ALDI flour and was linked to at least 17 illnesses in eight states.
On October 3, in an expansion of the June incident, King Arthur and ADM recalled 19 lots of 5lb and 25lb bags of unbleached all-purpose flour. The smaller bags are readily available at retailers across the US, while the large bags are sold at Costco.
ADM, in early November, alerted King Arthur that the original recall excluded three other affected lot codes.
“We utilize tracking processes to follow the chain of use for flour that goes into King Arthur Flour baking blends, mixes and other products, so that we can be certain none of the affected lots were incorporated in this way,” the company said on its website.
“When sample testing turned up additional lots linked to the initial recall, we again worked diligently with our milling partner to understand the full scope of potentially affected flour in or to recall it and promote awareness among our customers.”
No illnesses have been connected to these products.
Flour recalls in 2019
ADM has been involved with nine recalls of flour products in 2019, starting with a Pillsbury recall in March. That led to the May and June recalls of Baker’s Corner and King Arthur flour produced in the same Buffalo plant.
General Mills has also dealt with two similar recalls of its Gold Medal flour this year: one due to the potential presence of Salmonella in February and another due to possible E. coli. Both recalls were issued ‘out of an abundance of care.’
Likewise for E. coli, Ardent Mills in February recalled 20lb bags of durum wheat flour produced in its Saskatoon, Canada mill, branded under Golden Temple, Swad and Maya.
These milling companies, along with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), stress that uncooked flour should not be consumed and urge consumers to take safety precautions in their own kitchens and in commercial settings.
Baking, frying, sautéing or boiling flour-based products would kill this strain of E. coli, 026.