Raw cookie dough is known to be a high-risk treat , but let’s face it , most of us have had a scoop. Eating raw cookie dough poses more than just a Salmonella threat from raw egg consumption; it now runs the risk of housing another bacterium: E. coli.
General Mills flour voluntarily recalled over 10 million pounds of flour on May 31 , due to an E. coli outbreak that has sickened
at least38 people since December. After interviewing those infected , disease investigators determined eating raw cookie dough was a common denominator. It is possible contaminated bags are still in consumers’ homes due to flour’s long shelf life.
If you aren’t sure if your flour is part of the recall , it may be best to toss it on the side of caution. This strand of E. coli can cause bloody diarrhea , abdominal cramps or in more severe cases , kidney failure called
hemolyticuremic syndrome (HUS). HUS can cause fever , abdominal pain , fatigue and abnormal bruising and bleeding from the nose and mouth.
Keep your family safe from this outbreak:
- Discard any flour that could be from part of General Mills recall.
- Don’t eat raw cookie dough or any other food that may contain contaminated flour.
- Don’t eat raw cookie dough or any other food containing raw egg.
Click
here to see a list of recalled flour.
