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FDA Wants You To Stop Eating Raw Cookie Dough, And It’s Not Because Of The Raw Eggs

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The warning on the package of cookie dough telling me not to eat it raw is the same as the warning on a package of Q-tips telling me not to put it in my ears — I’m gonna ignore it every time. I honestly can’t even remember the last time I bought a package of cookie dough and didn’t eat it raw. It’s like perfect snack, especially if you get the kind that’s already cut up into squares.

Those days are long gone after the latest FDA warning. We’ve always known it’s bad to eat raw cookie dough because you could get sick from eating raw eggs, but we ignored it because raw cookie dough is just that good, but the FDA just released a new advisory that says it’s not the eggs that could get you sick — it’s the flour.

A General Mills plant in Kansas City, MO is being investigated by the FDA for an E. coli outbreak. Flour produced at the plant has been linked to the sickness of 38 people in 20 states. Everyone affected either ate or handled raw cookie dough that contained the tainted flour.

For those who don’t know, E. coli is a bacteria that’s found in your intestines, but certain strains can cause severe food poisoning that can last for weeks or even months. My sister was once infected with a bad strain and says she didn’t have a solid shit for six months. I don’t know about you, but I’m not about to risk the safety and sanity of my bowels for a few seconds of bliss. Bye bye, raw cookie dough.

It’s not just cookie dough that has been affected. General Mills recalled over 10 million pounds of flour, including unbleached, all-purpose, and self-rising flours. If you have any Gold Medal, Gold Medal Wondra, and Signature Kitchen flour in your pantry that you bought between November 14 and December 4, 2015, throw it away immediately.

Not all hope is lost, though. You can still bake the cookie dough because the oven kills bacteria that causes symptoms like diarrhea and abdominal cramps, but we both know it’s not the same.

[via Cosmopolitan]

Image via Shutterstock

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Cristina Montemayor

Cristina is a Grandex Writer and Content Manager. She was an intern for over two years before she graduated a semester early to write about college full time, which makes absolutely no sense. She regretfully considers herself a Carrie, but is first and foremost a Rory. She tends to draw strong reactions from people. They are occasionally positive. You can find her in a bar as you're bending down to tie your shoes, drinking Dos XX and drunk crying to Elton John. Email her: [email protected] (not .com).

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