Salmonella Outbreak in Minnesota, Ten Other States Linked to Flour

(KNSI) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns raw cookie dough and batter is linked to a new Salmonella outbreak.

Eleven states, including Minnesota, have reported illnesses, with those sickened mentioning they had consumed raw cookie dough or batter in the days leading up to their symptoms. Flour was the only common ingredient in the raw dough or batter people reported eating. Investigators are working to identify a specific brand of flour linked to illnesses.

The CDC says flour doesn’t look like a raw food, but most flour is raw. This means it hasn’t been treated to kill germs that cause food poisoning. Any raw (unbaked) flour used to make dough or batter can be contaminated with germs like Salmonella, but Salmonella germs are killed when flour is cooked or baked. You can get sick after eating or tasting raw dough or batter. Children can get sick from handling or eating raw dough used for crafts or play clay.

They recommend not eating raw dough or batter as even a small amount can cause an illness, baking or cooking food made with raw flour, like cookie dough or cake batter, before eating it, and buying heat-treated flour to use in recipes for homemade playdough. They also say to wash any bowls, utensils, and surfaces that touched raw flour with hot soapy water and have good handwashing practices before and after using raw flour.

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