Dive Brief:
- The saga continues as yet another company, Clear Springs Foods Inc., recalled its products because they contained flour potentially contaminated with E. coli connected to the recently ended — but apparently still ongoing — General Mills recall, Food Safety News reported.
- The company sourced its breading ingredient from supplier Newly Weds Foods, and that company's wheat flour supplier is General Mills.
- Company officials were not aware of any illnesses related to the product, but said in the notice they were concerned with consumers having it in their freezers.
Dive Insight:
The General Mills flour recall isn't the first to continue spiraling and expanding, but the nature of this particular product means the company may not see the end of the aftermath for a long time. Flour is not only a common and versatile ingredient, used for products ranging from baked goods to seafood breading, but it also has a long shelf life.
It's also unclear how General Mills can save face — and money — during this ordeal. Every time a company recalls another product, General Mills' name and the breadth of this recall are on the minds of consumers once again.
However, the company has been careful to exude transparency and to collect all important information on a website consumers can access. Even widespread recalls can be manageable and seen by consumers in a more positive light if a company is transparent from the outset about what happened and what the company is doing to resolve the issue.