You might want to think twice before you lick that spatula.
Let’s be honest, weve all swiped a bite or two of raw cookie dough from the bowl.
As kids, licking the beaters was a privilege that was almost better than the cookies themselves.
PHOTOGRAPHER: JEN CAUSEY, FOOD STYLIST: EMILY NABORS HALL, PROP STYLIST: PHOEBE HAUSER
But did you know theres another raw product in your cookie dough that can pose the same risks?
Raw Flour Is Unsafe to EatHeres Why
What’s so dangerous about raw flour anyway?
Its not perishable like dairy or meat.
Similar to raw eggs, flour can harborSalmonellaas well asE.
coliis often transmitted through animal waste.
You might be thinking, Well, Ive eaten raw cookie dough many times and never gotten sick!
This may be true; however, bacterial foodborne illness is sneaky.
The same goes for a medium rare pancake or other baked goods like quick breads and muffins.
It also contains raw flour (and eggs!
), and you should resist the urge to eat it raw.
Whats a Raw Cookie Dough Lover to Do?
And cookie dough ice cream is also safe to eat as well.
And lastly, don’t forget about the raw eggs.
Opt for pasteurized-in-the-shell eggs, which are heated in a way that destroys bacteria without cooking the eggs inside.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.SalmonellaOutbreak Linked to Flour.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Timeline for Identifying and Reporting Illnesses in Foodborne Outbreaks.
