Don’t Eat Raw Cookie Dough This Holiday Season, NJ Expert Says

It’s one of your favorite childhood memories. It’s also a “potential recipe for food poisoning,” a New Jersey health expert says.

After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a recent advisory about eating raw cookie dough, the manager of the New Jersey Poison Control Center raised a hand in support of the "no raw dough" philosophy when it comes to holiday baking.

Eating raw cookie dough, bread batter or cake and brownie mixes is a “potential recipe for food poisoning,” emphasized Bruce Ruck, managing director of the New Jersey Poison Control Center at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

“Raw ingredients may be contaminated with a variety of harmful germs, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites that can make anyone especially children and older adults quite sick, E. coli from the flour and salmonella from the eggs,” Ruck said.

What if you think that you’ve eaten raw dough?

“Pay close attention to any symptoms,” Ruck advised. “Raw products can cause serious gastrointestinal complications.”

According to Ruck:

“Baked and other cooked food are safe to eat because cooking’s high temperatures kill bacteria. Remember to follow safe food handling practices when preparing, cooking and storing foods. Periodically check pantries, refrigerators and freezers to make sure recalled foods linked to contamination and outbreaks are removed.”

• See related article: 'Just Say No' To Raw Cookie Dough, Health Officials Say

Other federal health agencies have issued recent warnings about indulging in batter licking. In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised against eating any form of raw dough, including cookie batter but also bread, cookies, pizza or tortillas.

"Flour, regardless of the brand, can contain bacteria that cause disease," the FDA warned. "People often understand the dangers of eating raw dough due to the presence of raw eggs and the associated risk with Salmonella. However, consumers should be aware that there are additional risks associated with the consumption of raw dough, such as particularly harmful strains of E. coli in a product like flour."

According to the FDA, common "bacteria-killing steps" applied during food preparation and/or processing include boiling, baking, roasting, microwaving and frying.

• See related article: D'oh! Raw Cookie Dough No Good To Eat, FDA Says

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