Cookie dough – you either hate it or love it. The ones who have a taste for it can’t resist sneaking spoonsful of the good stuff. Others can't understand the fascination behind eating raw dough. With Christmas around the corner, kitchens all over the world will be in a baking spree. And that means there will be a lot of unattended, tempting raw cookie dough lying around for snacking. Ahead of the occasion, the Center for Diseases Prevention and Control (CDC) has released a strict warning against eating raw dough, cookie or otherwise. It reads: “When you prepare homemade cookie dough, cake mixes, or even bread, you may be tempted to taste a bite before it is fully cooked. But steer clear of this temptation—eating or tasting unbaked products that are intended to be cooked, such as dough or batter, can make you sick.”

How? Here's how.

E. Coli

Raw dough meant for cakes, cookies and bread are made of raw flour and eggs, two things that should never be eaten raw. According to CDC, flour is a “raw agricultural product.” It is not treated or processed to get rid of germs like Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. These pathogens may be introduced to the flour at various stages of processing. Cooking protects you from the bacteria, since E. coli and others cannot stand high temperatures. And eating raw dough is a sure-fire way to get sick. Don't Refreeze Melted Ice Cream! It Could Lead to Food Poisoning, Warns Expert.

Salmonella

Cake mixes and cookie dough are often enhanced with eggs, which are used as a softening and a leavening agent. Raw eggs may sometimes contain the bacteria salmonella, responsible for causing food poisoning. Symptoms start showing within eight to 72 hours after exposure, leading to cramps, fever, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Dos and Don’ts

  • CDC warns people against eating any raw dough meant for cookies, cakes, pizzas, tortillas, biscuits, pancakes or Christmas ornaments.

  • Parents should keep children away from playing or eating raw dough.

  • Follow the recipe according to the instructions, making sure all the directions are followed with respect to temperature and time.

  • Do not use the dough for making milkshakes, ice creams, etc., unless it is store bought. Cookie dough ice creams in stores are treated to kill harmful pathogens.

  • Don’t keep raw foods such as flour, raw milk or eggs close to the cooked ones, because flour is in a powder form, which can spread easily.

  • Clean hands thoroughly after handling raw food.

  • Clean utensils meant for using raw food thoroughly with soap and water to remove traces.

Watch Out For Food Poisoning Symptoms

Food poisoning symptoms may rear their head within three to four days after exposure to E.coli and eight to 72 hour after ingesting salmonella. The symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting.

Visit the doctor if there is accompanying fever, blood in the stools, frequent vomiting, dizziness and diarrhoea.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 12, 2018 12:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).