Medically Reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD on November 27, 2021 Can’t wait for those cookies to bake? It’s not easy to resist the temptation to taste that raw cookie dough. But that’s not a safe thing to do. Raw cookie dough contains uncooked
flour and eggs. These have the potential to cause food poisoning and bacterial infections like salmonella. Raw cookie dough contains raw eggs. They may be contaminated by salmonella bacteria. Chickens can carry the bacteria and produce eggs that contain salmonella. Eggshells can also become
contaminated with salmonella bacteria when they’re laid. Eggs that contain salmonella look just like normal eggs. Raw cookie dough also contains another ingredient that you may not necessarily link to food poisoning. This ingredient is flour. Two E. coli outbreaks in the U.S. in 2016 and 2019 had a link to raw
flour. More than 80 people were infected by eating or handling the flour. Most people don’t consider flour to be a potentially harmful food. In a survey of 1,045 flour users in the US, researchers found that 85% were unaware of any flour recalls or outbreaks. Of those who used flour in baking, 66% said they ate raw cookie dough. The contamination of flour usually starts in the wheat fields. Bacteria from animal feces can end up on the soil or in the water. The farm machines that harvest the crops churn the wheat and bring in the soil’s bacteria. The wheat isn’t heated during the milling process. Heating is usually the best way to kill bacteria but this also makes it less suitable for baking. E. coli and salmonella can survive for a long time in wheat flour. Both salmonella and E.coli bacteria can live in wheat flour stored at room temperature for 1 year. Cookie Dough and Salmonella InfectionSalmonella bacteria live in the intestines of animals and humans. Humans are infected by this bacteria through water or food that’s been contaminated. The illness is known as salmonellosis. Salmonella causes an estimated 26,500 hospitalizations, 1.35 million infections, and 420 deaths every year in the United States. Symptoms.
You may get symptoms within 6 hours to 6 days after infection from salmonella. The symptoms can last 4 to 7 days. Some people with salmonella infection may have no symptoms. Others may develop some of the following: See your doctor if you have:
Complications. Most cases of salmonella don’t require a visit to the doctor. But there can be complications, such as dehydration. You also have a greater risk of developing reactive arthritis after a salmonella infection. This is known as Reiter’s syndrome. It causes:
You’re also at risk for bacteremia. This is when an infection enters your bloodstream and spreads to other parts of your body. E. ColiMost types of E. coli bacteria are harmless. They live in the intestines of animals and healthy people. But some strains can make you very sick. Symptoms. You may start to have symptoms anywhere from 1 day to more than 1 week after your exposure to the bacteria. Symptoms and signs include:
Complications. Healthy adults typically recover from E. coli infection within a week. But there’s a higher likelihood of developing a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome for younger children, older adults, and people with poor immune systems. Is Heated Flour Safe to Eat?You may have seen cookie dough recipes where flour is microwaved or heated in the oven first. There’s no scientific data to show that heating flour makes it safe to eat. Bacteria act differently in low-moisture ingredients like flour. We need more research to make sure these recipes are safe for you to eat. Safe Handling of Raw Cookie DoughWhen you bake or cook with raw ingredients like flour or eggs, it’s important to handle these foods safely. Be sure to:
Is it safe to eat raw cookie dough?Don't taste or eat raw (unbaked) dough or batter. Don't let children handle or play with raw dough, including play clay and dough for crafts. Uncooked flour and raw eggs can contain germs that can make you sick if you taste raw dough.
What happens if you eat too much raw cookie dough?Most doughs and batters contain raw eggs, which can be contaminated with a harmful germ called Salmonella, an illness-causing bacteria and common cause of food poisoning in the U.S. The symptoms of Salmonella infection include: Diarrhea. Fever.
What are the odds of getting salmonella from cookie dough?The most commonly cited reason to not eat raw cookie dough is the risk of salmonella from raw eggs. However, according to Dr. Adrienne Kassis, a primary care provider at One Medical group, only about 1 in every 20,000 eggs is contaminated, and that number decreases every year.
Is it safe to eat edible cookie dough?Although eating raw cookie dough has always been delicious, it has also been very dangerous. This is because flour is at risk of exposure to naturally occurring microbiological threats, including E. coli and Salmonella.
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