I think contaminated food has always been the case but in modern times we get more alerts. So that's good. In the past how many folks had the "24 hour flu" and never knew it was food poisoning?

I was wondering that same thing Ritaweeda. In the past I've had flour that smelled moldy or rancid, but never thought about any other pathogen. Flour is usually well cooked in whatever so I suppose anything else wouldn't normally rear it's ugly head... except for cookie dough snackers.

You know it didn't even dawn on me that we generally don't eat raw flour - (duh) so since I don't even eat raw cookie dough I shouldn't worry about it. But I still don't like it.

The concern is how we are used to using flour...toss a big pinch haphazard on a bread board for kneading, rolling out for biscuits/cookies/pie crust...raw flour everywhere, at least when DH bakes. (haha)

Would not think to clean that counter of flour with vinegar, peroxide, or bleach right away like we do for raw meats.

Bacteria multiplies quickly at room temp. Refridgeration only slows it down and kills nothing. Not even a freezer. Only heat above 160 for a few minutes.

Only some pantry pests and some soil bugs are killed by freezing. Think about how bug larva survive a deep freeze up north. Warm spring temps and the mosquitos, ticks, whiteflies, gnats are everywhere.

I'm starting my pepper seeds this weekend and will us some left-over seed starting mix from last year. ...it goes in the oven at 175 for a half hour in a foil roaster.

Testing is way more high tech these days. Think DNA testing in forensics.

Most larger companies have in-house testing but not often enough it seems.

A brand of baby spinach was recalled yesterday. WholeFoods. Unfortunately it was used in a few dozen pre-made salads as well...

Link to FDA, HERE

I signed up for e-mail alerts. The flour is not listed yet.

Right when I was feeling NOT FREAKED I read the above, now I'm FREAKED again! LOL!

Best to 'lol' and not get to freaked about it. Basic kitchen hygiene solves most of the uglies. Cooking is my therapy and not ever a chore so it gets prime time for cleaning up as we go and empty sink, etc. Single dish drawer runs often.

I was involved in the melamine scandal ...killed pets in the US and many children in China. it was an arrogant/financial choice to take melamine and list it as a protein, (technically it is) . It went into baby formula and pet food in the US. Manufacturers jumped on it to save money...The devil that did this was beheaded. Literally.

When peppercorns and various spices were re-called I payed attention as most cultures use spices whole then blended then toasted...then cooked in curries and such. In the US peppercorn is in a spice mill at the table. Raw. Some use spice mix raw, lol. Spices are harvested and dried on filthy tarps and walked on with bare feet. Sold in sacks held in warehouses.

I make own spice blends, roasted, and grow my salad year round for 5-6 years now.

Most of us with a healthy gut, probably 80% of the population, will have no or minor ill effects. A healthy gut can handle bad bacteria.

The myth, 'grandma says go play in dirt' has merit for environmental reasons just being exposed to the air around us full of healthy bacteria....but not for the bad bacteria we spend gut energy fighting off. A sensitive immune system is already challenged so the young, elderly, fighting disease, needs to avoid bad bacteria.

sleeven, our daughters' Dr 30 something years ago told us just that! Go play in the dirt! he did say that they should be current on their tetnus shots cause we lived near horses! He also warned against all those hand sanitizers, citing the super bug that didn't respond to antibiotics!

To be fair, this recall/warning is for the Gold Medal brand flour. I wonder whether smaller processors/companies engender the same sort of risks for contamination?