Duncan Hines recalls 2.4 million boxes of cake mix potentially contaminated with Salmonella

Duncan Hines, the Conagra-owned bake mix brand, has voluntarily recalled 2.4 million boxes of cake mix that may be contaminated with a rare strain of salmonella—one that was last linked to pet turtles .

The move comes subsequently a retail sample of Duncan Hines "classic white" cake mix tested positive for Salmonella Agbeni. The strain detected has the same DNA footprint as a Salmonella outbreak currently existence investigated by the Centers for Illness Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Five illnesses caused by this strain of Salmonella are existence researched as function of the investigation.

Several people who fell sick reported eating cake mix. Like raw cookie dough , cake mix may incorporate pathogens until broiled—and tin can potentially sicken anyone who unwittingly contaminates kitchen equipment, or eats concoction raw.

This could be only the start recall of products with raw flour.

"Consumers are reminded non to consume any raw batter," Conagra writes , in a release posted by FDA. "Block mixes and batter can exist fabricated with ingredients such as eggs or flour which can carry risks of bacteria that are rendered harmless by baking, frying or humid."

Conagra is voluntarily pulling that cake mix flavour, along with 3 other flavors, from shelves. You tin can come across images and product codes for the recalled xv.25-ounce packages here .

Londa Nwadike, a food rubber specialist at Kansas Country University and the University of Missouri, believes flour may be the contaminated ingredient. She says the flour could have been contaminated as wheat, in an open field, communicable poop from wild birds flying overhead. It could take been contaminated farther up the supply chain, by rat or mouse feces in silos or being hauled by trucks or grain cars to the flour mill. If either is the case, this could be but the first recall of products with raw flour.

"Whoever supplies flour to Duncan Hines to make their cake mixes is also supplying someone else," she says.

The salmonella in the block mix was matched through genome sequencing.

Of class, the flour could have been contaminated at a food manufacturing establish—either one of the 33 owned by Conagra across the country, or ane owned by some third-party manufacturer. Currently, FDA is investigating the institute that made the recalled cake mixes, merely has non disclosed its location.

"It might non be the flour," Nwadike says. "Perhaps they had some sanitation problems at their facility, too, where they manufactured the block mix."

Outbreaks of foodborne illness in flour are condign common, and Nwadike points to recent outbreaks of Eastward. coli as a sign that more than recalls of tainted production could follow this well-nigh recent announcement. That contaminated flour, which came from a Full general Mills constitute in Kansas City, Missouri, sparked a series of recalls over the summer of 2016.

What'south to blame for the uptick? Improved detection could exist 1 factor. Nwadike says epidemiologists that lead such investigations take amend traceback tools as of late, mostly thanks to genetic matching. Indeed, the salmonella in the cake mix was matched through genome sequencing, according to FDA . That technique is seen past experts as a potential food safety breakthrough, and was last week suggested by the agency as a manner to forestall incidents similar this spring's recall linked to romaine lettuce from Yuma, Arizona.

Meanwhile, how did Salmonella go into pet turtles, sickening 76 people beyond 19 states, including 24 children? And does it provide any clues most this outbreak? Nosotros'll accept to get back to yous on that ane.

More than to come as this story develops.