General Mills recalls 5-pound bags of Gold Medal unbleached flour

General Mills has issued a voluntary national recall of 5-pound bags of Gold Medal unbleached flour with a better-if-used-by date of April 20, 2020.

The Golden Valley-based food maker discovered the "potential presence" of salmonella during sampling, according to a company statement.

General Mills said it has not received any reports of confirmed illnesses from consumers, but launched the recall out of "an abundance of care."

"Food safety is our top priority, and though we have not had any confirmed illnesses, we are voluntarily recalling this specific lot of Gold Medal unbleached flour to prevent potential illnesses," said Jim Murphy, president of General Mills' Meals and Baking Division. "We are continuing to educate consumers that flour is not a 'ready to eat' ingredient. Anything you make with flour must be cooked or baked before eating."

The recall applies only to 5-pound unbleached flour bags with that single date code. No other types of Gold Medal flour are affected.

The company recommends disposing of affected bags. Consumers can contact the company online or call 800-230-8103.

In 2016, General Mills recalled 10 million pounds of flour products due to concerns they could be linked to a multistate E. coli outbreak.