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Handling the Dough Safely

Always wash your hands after handling any type of raw dough.
Always wash your hands after handling any type of raw dough.

A recent recall of flour has prompted concerns about eating raw dough products such as raw cookie dough, raw bread dough, and homemade craft dough. Any type of flour is a raw food product. At least one person has been sickened with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) due to eating raw pizza dough a restaurant gave to the consumer. HUS develops from E. coli contamination and can be deadly. Here is advise to consumers:

  • Flour or raw eggs used to make raw dough or batter might be contaminated.
  • Bake items made with raw dough or batter before eating them. Follow the recipe or instructions on the package.
  • Do not taste raw dough or batter. Even tasting a small amount could make you sick.
  • Wash any bowls, utensils, and other surfaces that were used when baking with hot water and soap.
  • Wash your hands with water and soap after handling dough or batter.
  • Restaurants should not give customers raw dough to play with or eat.

For more information, see www.cdc.gov/ecoli/2016/o121-06-16/index.html

 

About Karen Blakeslee

The Rapid Response Center was formed in 1995 as a resource for Kansas State University Research & Extension Agents. Resource topics included Food Science, Human Nutrition, Food Service, Textiles, Home Care and other consumer topics. Since that time, the Center has grown to be of valuable assistance to Kansas State University Extension Specialists in those areas.

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