It’s confusing that you can eat the cookie dough in cookie dough ice cream without fear of getting sick. You’re not supposed to eat raw cookie dough! Usually, we are told that this is because cookie dough contains raw eggs that could harbor salmonella. So, does that mean that it is safe to eat cookie dough that doesn’t contain raw eggs?
It is no longer a given that commercial eggs will harbor salmonella, but it is possible. You could use an egg substitute to make cookie dough or use a pasteurized egg product. This should eliminate any fears of food poisoning from salmonella. Presumably, the cookie dough in cookie dough ice cream uses pasteurized eggs.
Here’s the bad news. Even if your homemade cookie dough contains no raw egg, it is still considered unsafe to eat. The culprit is an unexpected one: raw flour.
Danger of Eating Raw Flour in Cookie Dough or Cake Mix
Yes, according to the CDC raw flour can cause food poisoning from harmful pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella. The wheat flour you buy at the store has not been treated to kill germs and bacteria can contaminate grain while it’s in the field. It is also possible that flour can be contaminated while it’s being made. Cooking flour kills any germs present but as long as the flour is in a raw state, you could possibly get food poisoning from it.
It may surprise you to know that the CDC even advises you to wash your hands and any utensils or measuring cups after coming into contact with raw flour. It seems silly, but they aren’t kidding. There have been food poisoning outbreaks from flour in the past.
Food Poisoning Outbreaks From Flour
Here are some basic statistics about food poisoning linked to flour products from 2016 to 2023, some of which led to product recalls.
- 2016: 63 cases in 24 states from Escherichia coli in General Mills flour products
- 2019: 21 cases in 9 states from E. coli in cookie and brownie baking mixes
- 2021: 16 cases in 12 states from E. coli in cake mix
- 2023: 14 cases in 13 states from Salmonella in General Mills Gold Medal Flour
Before we move on, I’d like to say something about product recalls due to food safety concerns or food poisoning outbreaks. Many sensationalist headlines and YouTube videos are made describing ‘big bad recalls’ to instill fear about our food supply. Food recalls are a GOOD thing. You can not feed billions of people and not have problems. The fact that these outbreaks are so readily and accurately tracked, leading to recalls, is a testament to the safety of our food supply.
You are not likely to become ill from eating raw flour. You are not even likely to become ill from eating raw eggs. The risk is greater for the very young, the very old, or the immune-compromised. But, the danger is very real.
The CDC tells the story of Harlee, an 11-year-old girl who baked a chocolate cake using one of the recalled cake mixes in 2021. She tasted the raw batter before putting the cake in the oven. Harlee became seriously ill from an E. coli infection that saw another 20 people hospitalized.
Harlee stayed in the hospital for three days and once released, she managed to recover and it back to her normal self, thank goodness. But, this story underscores the very real danger from eating raw cookie dough, raw cake batter, or anything containing raw flour or raw eggs. While you may have done it numerous times with no ill effects, it only takes one exposure to lead to the worst outcome.
