You Cookie Dough Freaks Just Never Learn

Stop it. Seriously, conscionable don’t bash it. Step distant from the mixing vessel with your hands up. Put the woody spoon connected the counter—no, bash NOT lick it. If you’re considering snacking connected unbaked cooky dough, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is erstwhile again—for the millionth time—asking you to reconsider.

The bureau has issued an update successful an ongoing probe of a multi-state Salmonella outbreak linked to 12 radical getting sick and 3 hospitalizations. CDC investigators zeroed successful connected the root of the bacterial illness, per the Thursday notice. It’s apt uncooked flour that’s been making radical sick, the bureau reported—though, the nonstop marque and benignant of flour remains unknown.

Out of the 7 radical the CDC interviewed to suss retired the root of the sickness, 6 reported having eating uncooked dough oregon batter earlier falling ill.

“Most radical reported eating earthy dough oregon batter made with flour earlier they got sick. Flour was the lone communal constituent successful the earthy dough oregon batter radical reported eating. Investigators are moving to place a circumstantial marque of flour linked to illnesses,” CDC officials wrote successful the announcement. “In the meantime, CDC ever advises you not to devour earthy cooky dough oregon barroom batter.”

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This is acold from the archetypal clip that harmful germs person been linked to uncooked baking ingredients. It’s besides not the archetypal clip the CDC has weighed successful connected the contented of whether oregon not it’s harmless to lick the spoon. A food information blogpost connected the agency’s website titled “Say No to Raw Dough” outlines each of the imaginable risks and harms that travel from ingesting uncooked cookies.

In 2016, 2019, and 2021 the CDC linked outbreaks of E. coli to earthy flour oregon barroom mix. Ingesting uncooked eggs, too, tin besides pb to infection, often with Salmonella. In 2018, the CDC recalled much than 200 cardinal eggs successful a Salmonella outbreak that sickened much than 20.

In this most-recent food-related Salmonella outbreak, people successful 11 antithetic states person experienced unwellness linked to the depletion of earthy dough and/or batter. The 12 radical known to person been impacted became sick betwixt December 6, 2022 and February 13 of this twelvemonth (note: premier vacation cooky baking season), nevertheless the CDC noted the outbreak has astir apt affected galore more, and could inactive beryllium ongoing.

“The existent fig of sick radical successful this outbreak is apt overmuch higher than the fig reported, and the outbreak whitethorn not beryllium constricted to the states with known illnesses. This is due to the fact that galore radical retrieve without aesculapian attraction and are not tested for Salmonella. In addition, caller illnesses whitethorn not yet beryllium reported arsenic it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to find if a sick idiosyncratic is portion of an outbreak,” the bureau wrote.

Symptoms of Salmonella infection see diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, per the CDC. Illness usually begins anyplace betwixt six hours and six days aft infection, and lasts up to a week. Though often radical retrieve without aesculapian intervention, immoderate tin go much severely sick and necessitate antibiotics oregon different treatment. In immoderate cases, corruption tin pb to semipermanent complications similar reactive arthritis.

So, arsenic tasty arsenic it whitethorn be, the imaginable consequences of earthy dough depletion astir apt aren’t worthy the fleeting pleasance chowing down connected the gooey goodness. That said, if you’ve truly got a hankering for that sweet, unbaked goodness, you tin defender against imaginable corruption by heat-treating your angiosperm and utilizing pasteurized eggs (or by purchasing a dough specifically made to beryllium eaten uncooked). Happy, harmless snacking.