Mom was right. You shouldn’t eat raw cookie dough. The uncooked eggs in this sweet treat may contain salmonella, bacteria that can cause food borne illness. The number of eggs affected is quite small and many food borne illnesses can be prevented when you properly cook your food.
Raw cookie dough is a hot topic, lately. Nestle USA voluntarily recalled all of its Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products due to possible E. coli, a different kind of bacteria – not typically found in eggs. Although the egg that is used in Nestle’s cookie dough is pasteurized and should not contain any pathogens, theoretically, other ingredients in the cookie dough could. That’s why the baking instructions insist you bake the cookies.
The Food and Drug Administration said consumers should not try to cook the dough, even though it would be safe to eat if cooked, because the bacteria could move to their hands and to countertops and other cooking surfaces.
Your county Farm Bureau wants to take this opportunity to remind you that most forborne illnesses can prevent, right in your own home! There are four simple rules: clean, seperate, cook, and chill. |
