Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Party Rainbow Chip Cake Mix and Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Carrot Cake Mix were added to the recall.
In the U.S., Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Party Rainbow Chip Cake Mix (called Betty Crocker Super Moist Rainbow Bit Cake Mix in Canada) and Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Carrot Cake Mix were added to the recall. General Mills said the recalls were issued “out of an abundance of caution” and that no illnesses have been reported from the cake mix.
The action followed by two days a recall by Continental Mills of Krusteaz blueberry pancake mix.
The Krusteaz recall was issued because the blueberry nuggets that had been prepared with a small amount of General Mills flour. Similarly, in the Betty Crocker recall, a General Mills supplier used Wondra flour to manufacture the flavor chips (or bits) used in the two recalled cake mix flavors.
“General Mills continues to collaborate with health officials to investigate a multistate outbreak of E. coli O121 connected to several brands of flour,” the company said.
A spokesperson contacted by Milling & Baking News, World Grain’s sister publication, affirmed that all of the flour involved in recalls was milled at the company’s Kansas City, Missouri, U.S., flour mill. Asked whether the company had identified the cause or source of the E. coli contamination, the spokesperson declined to answer but reiterated that the company was cooperating with the FDA.
The flour recall at General Mills began May 31, and involved Gold Medal Flour, Pillsbury Flour and Gold Medal Wondra. Initially affecting 10 million lbs. of flour, an expansion of the recall on July 1 increased the affected amount to 30 million lbs.
In addition to family flour, the recall affected flour sold by the company’s Foodservice and Convenience division, which sells flour to baking school, school, healthcare, distributor, pizzeria and other restaurant customers. Included in the recall were certain lots of Gold Medal Hotel and Restaurant Bakers all-purpose flour, in 25 lb and 50 lb bags, bleached and unbleached, regular and self-rising; Pillsbury Hotel and Restaurant all-purpose flour in 25 lb bags; Medallion Bakers all-purpose flour in 25 lb and 50 lb bags, Wondra enriched flour in 50 lbs bags; Pillsbury all-purpose flour in 25 lb bags; Pillsbury Hotel and Restaurant flour in 25 lb bags; Gold Medal Wondra, in 13.5 oz containers; Gold Medal all-purpose flour in 2 lb bags, regular and self-rising; Gold Medal all-puprose flour in 5 lb bags, regular and self-rising, regular and unbleached; and Gold Medal all-purpose flour in 10 lb bags.
Customers were asked to remove affected bags from their shelves and to destroy them.
“If you have finished product made with the recalled flour or product out of your control, please work with your local FDA office to determine the appropriate next steps,” General Mills said.
