Nestle has recalled its Toll House cookie dough, after 25 people were hospitalized with E. coli bacterial infection from eating the raw cookie dough.
Nestle said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are investigating reported E. coli illnesses that might be related eating the dough.
Escherichia coli (commonly E. coli is a Gram negative bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms (endotherms). Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some, such as serotype O157:H7, can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for costly product recalls. E. Coli symptoms are severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea, vomiting and small fever.
According to the Nestle website, those who have become ill ate raw cookie dough–a dangerous practice because of the uncooked eggs in the product.
Here’s an excerpt of the full release from FDA
The FDA advises that if consumers have any prepackaged, refrigerated Nestle Toll House cookie dough products in their home that they throw them away. Cooking the dough is not recommended because consumers might get the bacteria on their hands and on other cooking surfaces.
Retailers, restaurateurs, and personnel at other food-service operations should not sell or serve any Nestle Toll House prepackaged, refrigerated cookie dough products subject to the recall.
The Nestle cookie dough recall includes refrigerated cookie bar dough, cookie dough tub, cookie dough tubes, limited edition cookie dough items, seasonal cookie dough and Ultimates cookie bar dough. It does not affect any other Toll House products.