Health officials sternly warn about eating raw cookie dough
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It can be tempting to taste and lovely to lick the spoon … and put you in the hospital.
“He made his special secret chocolate chip cookies,” said Jaime Redkey, whose husband was hospitalized after he ate raw cookie dough. “Which he’s made many times before. He grew up making them with his mom. Always ate the cookie dough. Since we have been married, I have warned him not to eat the raw cookie dough with the raw eggs in it.”
Redkey’s husband didn’t listen and ate some raw cookie dough a few years ago.
“He used some eggs that were older: Within eight hours or so after consuming the cookie dough, he started to feel ill.” Redkey said. “He had abdominal pain, cramping.”
He spent four days in the hospital, sick with a salmonella infection.
“It was horrible for him. He couldn’t eat. He was in terrible pain to the point they had to put him on a pain pump.” Redkey said.
Redkey works at Riley Children’s Hospital, in infection prevention. So, she knows the risks.
When her husband got sick, she said she thought, “Oh, my gosh, my colleagues are going to make fun of me because my husband has salmonella.”
Redkey said her husband learned that the hard way. “He did. I tell that story to everybody I know who eats raw cookie dough.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns raw dough can contain bacteria that causes diseases.
Adam Karcz, an infection preventionist with IU Health, said the raw eggs in uncooked dough or batter could be contaminated with salmonella. “Salmonella can lead all the way up to a blood infection. You may run into issues with potential kidney failure.” Karcz said.
Karcz said as tempting as it might be this holiday season, just don’t eat raw cookie dough.
The CDC also warns the flour in that raw cookie dough or batter could get you sick. In 2016 and summer 2019, two outbreaks of E. coli infections linked to raw flour made more than 80 people sick nationwide.
“The flour that is in the cookie dough, it’s not cooked or heated, so it can contain E. coli, which is another bacteria that can cause GI (gastrointestinal) symptoms,” said Mary Kay Foster, a registered nurse with the special pathogens unit of IU Health.
So, don’t taste raw batter or dough even if it’s for biscuits, pancakes, tortillas or even homemade play dough. Bake or cook that dough or batter before you eat it.