Pancake Mix Recalled Over Concerns of E. Coli Contamination

— -- Continental Mills is voluntarily recalling specific lots of blueberry pancake mix because of concerns that it could be contaminated with E. coli.

The recall was spurred by an announcement by General Mills that it is expanding its voluntary recall of certain flour products after a multistate E.coli outbreak was linked to raw flour produced by the company.

The family-owned Continental Mills, which is unaffiliated with General Mills, has used some of the flour products recalled by General Mills in certain blueberry pancake mixes, and the company announced in a statement Friday that it is recalling specific lots of its Krusteaz Blueberry Pancake Mix manufactured from April 2016 to June 2016. In those lots, some of the mix “is made with a small percentage of affected flour which was recalled by General Mills because it may be contaminated with E. coli O121,” Continental Mills said in a statement.

Although the E.coli outbreak linked to General Mills flour products has sickened at least 42 people in 21 states, none of the reported illnesses have been linked to the pancake mix, according to Continental Mills.

“The quality and safety of our products is of the utmost importance, and we are doing everything possible to ensure our customers have all of the pertinent information,” Andy Heily, Continental Mills’ president, said in the company’s statement.

The pancake mixes being recalled are Krusteaz Blueberry Pancake Mix, 28 ounce carton, with best-by dates 3/30/2018 to 6/16/2018 and the universal product code 041449001289, and Krusteaz Blueberry Pancake Mix, 3.5 pound bag, with best-by dates 4/27/2018 to 4/28/2018 and the UPC 041449001487.

Consumers are urged to throw away the product and contact Continental Mills for a refund at 1-800-457-7744. More information on the recall can be found at here.

General Mills has voluntarily recalled 30 million pounds of flour since the E. coli outbreak was reported in June by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The products linked to the outbreak were sold under the names Gold Medal, Signature Kitchens and Gold Medal Wondra. The specific lots recalled can be found at here.

Among the 42 reported cases of E. coli infection in the outbreak, 11 people were hospitalized, according to the CDC.

Flour produced at a General Mills facility in Kansas City, Missouri, is believed to be the source of the contamination, CDC officials said earlier this month. General Mills said that the FDA said that one sample from its recalled flour tested positive for E. coli O121.