Flour Products Suspected of Bacteria Issue

American food product manufacturer General Mills has recalled about 4.5 million kilograms of flour.
美国食品生产商通用磨坊（General Mills）召回约450万公斤面粉。

General Mills announced the flour recall because of a possible link to E. coli infections in 20 states, reported the Associated Press.
据美联社报道，通用磨坊召回面粉是因为这些产品疑与全美20个州出现的大肠杆菌感染有关。

Escherichia coli are bacteria found in the environment. The bacteria are often harmless. But some stronger forms of E. coli can make people sick. They can cause diarrhea and dehydration.
大肠杆菌在自然环境中广泛存在。这种细菌通常是无害的。但是一些强力类型的大肠杆菌有致病危害。可能会造成腹泻和脱水。

The company’s recall was announced on May 31. In the United States, a food recall means that inspectors identified one or more problems with a product.
通用磨坊于5月31日宣布开始召回部分面粉产品。在美国，一旦产品被召回就意味着安检员在审查产品时发现了一个或诸多问题。

The General Mills recall is for several kinds of Gold Medal and Signature Kitchens flour. Those products were sold at Safeway, Albertsons and other stores.
通用磨坊公司召回的产品中有Gold Medal和Signature Kitchens品牌的面粉。这些召回的产品在Safeway、Albertsons等公司和其他商店都有销售。

Much of the recalled flour was produced at the company’s factory in Kansas City, Missouri, the AP said.
美联社报道称，被召回的面粉中多数都是在公司旗下的密苏里州堪萨斯城工厂生产的。

General Mills said E. coli has not been found in any of its flour products. The company said it is still recalling the flour out of “an abundance of caution.”
通用磨坊公司称并未在其面粉产品中发现大肠杆菌。但出于谨慎，他们依然会召回部分面粉。

The company said 38 people became sick from the middle of December through May 3. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that half of the people used flour before getting sick.
该公司称去年12月中旬到今年5月3日，全美共38人出现感染。美国疾病控制与预防中心发现，一半的病人事前曾接触过面粉。

Some of the flour used was a General Mills brand. Those getting sick may have also eaten uncooked dough or batter, the company said.
其中就有通用磨坊生产的面粉。该公司称，感染者也有可能是食用了生面团或者面糊。

It said people should not eat uncooked dough or batter. General Mills urged people to wash their hands and work surfaces after contact with such products.
该公司称不可以食用未经烹饪的生面团或者面糊。通用磨坊公司呼吁人们在接触面粉产品时要洗手并清洗厨房的流理台。