It is tempting, but kids and adults shouldn’t eat raw cookie dough.
Or any kind of raw dough.
In late May, the United States Centre for Disease Control announced a salmonella outbreak that’s connected to raw cookie dough.
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The suspected product is Papa Murphy’s chocolate chip cookie dough and most cases were in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, including Washington state.
In total, 18 illnesses were reported and two people were admitted to hospital.
It’s a reminder that uncooked dough can contain bacteria like salmonella, which causes diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps.
“Some people — especially children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems — may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization,” the CDC says on its website.
The outbreak from store-bought cookie dough was the second time this spring, where a significant number of Americans got sick from eating dough.
In April, General Mills recalled its Gold Medal flour bags (with expiry dates of March 27-28, 2024). The flour was linked to salmonella poisonings in 12 states.
Canada hasn’t had a major issue with contaminated flour and raw dough since 2017, when about 30 people got sick from E. coli — mostly in Western Canada.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled a list of products, including pie shells, tart shells and flour.
Health Canada and the Centre for Disease Control have information on their websites, reminding the public that flour can contain harmful bacteria, like E. coli.
People infected with E. coli can have a wide range of symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, headache, severe stomach cramps and diarrhea.
The CDC has a website called Say No to Raw Dough, which offers tips and information on how to avoid food poisoning from flour, dough and batter.
For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/no-raw-dough.html.
Robert.arnason@producer.com
