Woman dies after eating raw cookie dough

The Effects of Eating Raw Cookie Dough

Last Updated: Feb 10, 2014 | By Rachel Nall

Eating raw cookie dough can be harmful to your health. Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images

While some people crave raw cookie dough more than baked cookies, consuming raw cookie dough is associated with a number of health concerns. Raw food products can harbor bacteria that can cause you to become ill and experience intestinal distress, vomiting or kidney failure. In addition to not eating it, you also should carefully handle cookie dough in its raw form to avoid ingesting potentially harmful bacteria.

Consumer Advisory: FDA Continues to Warn Against Eating Raw Dough for Cookies or Other Raw Dough Products before Cooking

Follow the directions on the package to keep you and your family safe

The Food and Drug Administration continues to warn consumers against eating any raw dough for cookies or other raw dough products before the dough is properly cooked because you could get sick.

Cooking these products kills harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella and E. coli, and keeps you and your family safe.

If you have eaten these raw products and are experiencing stomach cramps, fever, vomiting or diarrhea, contact your health care professional immediately. Anyone, of any age or health condition, could get very sick or die from potential bacterial contamination associated with these raw dough products.

This is especially true for people with weak immune systems; for example, the very young, the elderly, and people with diseases that weaken the immune system or who are on medicines that suppress the immune system (for example, some medicines used for rheumatoid arthritis).

Pregnant women also need to be especially careful to follow cooking directions on packages, since some bacteria are very harmful or deadly to unborn babies.

The FDA recommends following these safe food-handling practices to stay healthy:

Do not eat any raw cookie dough or any other raw dough product that’s supposed to be cooked or baked.

Follow package directions for cooking at proper temperatures and for specified times.

Wash hands, work surfaces, and utensils thoroughly after contact with raw dough products.

Keep raw foods separate from other foods while preparing them to prevent any contamination that might be present from spreading.

Follow label directions to chill products promptly after purchase and after using them.