The Food and Drug Administration is warning parents baking with flour to keep the kids (and the adults) from sneaking a bite before the cookies get cooked.
The FDA is warning people not to eat raw cookie dough as more than 12,000 cases of Pillsbury flour have been recalled over salmonella concerns.
According to the USDA, about 12,185 cases of the flour were distributed through "a limited number of retailers and distributors, including Publix and Winn-Dixie".
The recall is for lot codes 8 292 (Best by date April 19 2020) and 8 293 (best by date April 20 2020).
In a statement on its website, Publix notes "consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase for a refund."
Back in January General Mills issued a similar recall for five-pound bags of its Gold Medal Unbleached Flour (also with a best if used by date of April 20, 2020) due to Salmonella concerns.
These aren't the first flour recalls
These recalls follow a 2016 E.coli outbreak linked to contaminated raw flour. Dozens of people got sick that year, and a post-outbreak report notes that "state investigators identified three ill children who had been exposed to raw flour at restaurants in Maryland, Virginia, and Texas. Restaurant staff had given them raw dough to play with while they waited for their food to be served."
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) acknowledges the appeal of a spoonful of chocolate chip goodness but asks that we "steer clear of this temptation—eating or tasting unbaked products that are intended to be cooked, such as dough or batter, can make you sick."
According to the CDC, flour needs to be cooked in order to kill germs like E.Coli and Salmonella. That's why the CDC is asking parents to "say no to raw dough," not just for eating but even for playing with.
"Children can get sick from handling or eating raw dough used for crafts or play clay, too," the CDC posted on its website.
On the Food and Drug Administration's website, that agency advises that "even though there are websites devoted to 'flour crafts,' don't give your kids raw dough or baking mixes that contain flour to play with." Health Canada also states that raw flour should not be used in children's play-dough.
If your kids do have flour-based play dough, don't worry.
If you made the dough with recalled flour it's got to go, but don't panic if your kids play with dough made from other flour.
Some parents who choose to use flour-based craft dough are reducing the risks by A) making sure the kids aren't eating their art, and B) thoroughly washing little hands, work surfaces, and utensils when the dough play is over.
Other parents are choosing other types of craft clay over flour-based dough.
During the 2016 outbreak, the FDA called for Americans to abstain from raw cookie dough, an approach Slate called "unrealistic and alarmist," noting that "the vast, vast majority of people who consume or touch uncooked flour do not contract E. coli or any other infection."
Three years ago, 63 Americans were made sick by E. coli infections linked to raw flour, according to the CDC. We don't know exactly how many Americans ate a spoonful of cookie dough or played with homemade play dough that year, but we do know that more than 319 million Americans did not get sick because of raw flour.
Are there risks associated with handling and consuming raw flour? Yes, absolutely, but it's not something to panic over.
Bottom line: Don't let your kids eat raw dough when they're helping you bake cookies for Santa, and be mindful of raw flour when choosing crafts for kids.
(And if you have just got to get your raw cookie dough fix, the CDC notes that cookie dough flavored ice cream is totally safe as it "contains dough that has been treated to kill harmful bacteria." Sounds like mama's getting Ben & Jerry's tonight.)
[A version of this post was published December 28, 2018. It has been updated.]
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During the 2016 outbreak, the FDA called for Americans to abstain from raw cookie dough, an approach Slate called "unrealistic and alarmist," noting that "the vast, vast majority of people who consume or touch uncooked flour do not contract E. coli or any other infection."
Two years ago, 63 Americans were made sick by E. coli infections linked to raw flour, according to the CDC. We don't know exactly how many Americans ate a spoonful of cookie dough or played with homemade play dough that year, but we do know that more than 319 million Americans did not get sick because of raw flour.
Are there risks associated with handling and consuming raw flour? Yes, absolutely, but it's not something to panic over.
Bottom line: Don't let your kids eat raw dough when they're helping you bake cookies for Santa, and be mindful of raw flour when choosing crafts for kids.
(And if you have just got to get your raw cookie dough fix, the CDC notes that cookie dough flavored ice cream is totally safe as it "contains dough that has been treated to kill harmful bacteria." Sounds like mama's getting Ben & Jerry's tonight.)
