I’ll tell you why you should never eat raw biscuit and cake dough

On the occasion of the Christmas holidays, the FDA in the United States reminds us of a very important food safety rule: do not eat, even small quantities, of raw dough

The Christmas holidays are coming to an end, but there are those who are still kneading biscuits and other sweets, also in anticipation of the Epiphany. The time is therefore still good to remember a very important food safety rule. To do it is actually the FDA in the United Stateswhich underlines how much it can be it is dangerous to taste raw dough.

However great the temptation may be – and however delicious your dough – resist: do not eat it raw and be especially careful of children. How come? There is the risk of contracting serious infections, due to the possible contamination of some ingredients with Salmonella or Escherichia coli, which can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever, and in some cases more serious complications, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is particularly dangerous for children.

Do not eat raw cookie dough or other desserts

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reminded consumers to avoid eating raw cookie dough, cake batter and other raw flour products. While many are aware of the dangers of raw eggs, few know that even raw flour can harbor pathogens such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella.

The FDA’s warning comes as poisonings due to contaminated raw flour that have occurred in the US over the years continue to make headlines, the latest in 2023 when Gold Medal flour was involved in an epidemic of Salmonella Infantis, which affected 13 people in 11 states.

These are the other most striking known cases:

FDA advice

The food safety recommendations issued by the FDA for consumers are as follows:

It’s not worth taking risks

As tempting as raw cookie dough may seem, the FDA points out that it’s not worth the risk, better to prepare our desserts in a safe wayalways following food safety guidelines.

Even if the most important cases of flour contamination occurred in the USA, the risks of raw dough should not be underestimated on a global level. Flour, eggs and other raw ingredients of cakes and biscuits can be contaminated everywhere, and for this reason it is essential to avoid tasting them, even in small quantities.

Let’s enjoy cakes and biscuits to the fullest, but only after having cooked them correctly.