The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urge consumers not to eat raw cookie dough this holiday season, as tempting as it may be.
The CDC says eating or tasting unbaked products that are intended to be cooked, such as dough or batter, can contain bacteria that can make you sick. Children can get sick from handling or eating raw dough used for crafts or play clay, too.
In addition, experts say raw eggs that are used to make raw dough or batter can contain a germ called Salmonella that can make you sick if the eggs are eaten raw or lightly cooked.
Follow these safe food handling practices recommended by the CDC when you are baking and cooking with flour and other raw ingredients:
• Do not taste or eat any raw dough or batter, whether for cookies, tortillas, pizza, biscuits, pancakes, or crafts made with raw flour, such as homemade play dough or holiday ornaments.
• Do not let children play with or eat raw dough, including dough for crafts.
• Bake or cook raw dough and batter, such as cookie dough and cake mix, before eating.
• Follow the recipe or package directions for cooking or baking at the proper temperature and for the specified time.
• Do not make milkshakes with products that contain raw flour, such as cake mix.
• Do not use raw, homemade cookie dough in ice cream.
• Cookie dough ice cream sold in stores contains dough that has been treated to kill harmful bacteria.
• Keep raw foods such as flour or eggs separate from ready-to eat-foods. Because flour is a powder, it can spread easily.
• Follow label directions to refrigerate products containing raw dough or eggs until they are cooked.
• Clean up thoroughly after handling flour, eggs, or raw dough:
• Wash your hands with running water and soap after handling flour, raw eggs, or any surfaces that they have touched.
• Wash bowls, utensils, countertops, and other surfaces with warm, soapy water.