It’s National Cookie Day, but you still can’t eat the dough

Today is National Cookie Day, but you still cannot safely eat the cookie dough – and it’s not just because of the salmonella risk in raw eggs.

Eating raw dough or batter can make you sick for more reasons than one, according to a Nov. 28 consumer update from the FDA.

Besides the salmonella risk in raw eggs, cookie dough also contains raw flour, which can contain bacteria – including Shiga toxin-producing E. Coli – that cause disease.

“Flour is derived from a grain that comes directly from the field and typically is not treated to kill bacteria,” said Leslie Smoot, an FDA specialist in the microbiological safety of processed foods.

So, the FDA released, if an animal “heeds the call of nature in the field,” the waste could contaminate the grain, which is then milled into flour.

Common symptoms for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli are diarrhea and abdominal cramps, according to the update. More serious illnesses can cause kidney failure.

The FDA has released these tips, which could come in handy if you want to safely celebrate National Cookie Day:

▪ Do not eat any raw dough, mix or batter

▪ Follow package instructions for cooking products that contain flour

▪ Wash hands, work surfaces and utensils thoroughly after contact with flour and raw dough products

▪ Keep raw foods separate from other foods, and be aware that flour may spread easily due to its powdery nature

▪ Follow label directions to chill products containing raw dough until they are baked

This story was originally published December 4, 2017 at 10:00 AM with the headline "It’s National Cookie Day, but you still can’t eat the dough."