CDC warns against eating raw cookie dough

A warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about one of the most popular goodies during the holidays: cookies.

Government officials say don't be tempted to eat any of the raw cookie dough.

That's because the flour and raw eggs can contain bacteria, like E. coli, and salmonella.

It's better to wait until the cookies are fully cooked, to save you from any unwanted illness during the holidays.

The CDC provides the following safe food handling practices for baking and cooking with flour and other raw ingredients:

- Do not taste or eat any raw dough or batter, whether for cookies, tortillas, pizza, biscuits, pancakes, or crafts made with raw flour, such as homemade play dough or holiday ornaments.

- Do not let children play with or eat raw dough, including dough for crafts.

- Bake or cook raw dough and batter, such as cookie dough and cake mix, before eating.

- Follow the recipe or package directions for cooking or baking at the proper temperature and for the specified time.

- Do not make milkshakes with products that contain raw flour, such as cake mix.

- Do not use raw, homemade cookie dough in ice cream.

- Cookie dough ice cream sold in stores contains dough that has been treated to kill harmful bacteria.

- Keep raw foods such as flour or eggs separate from ready-to eat-foods. Because flour is a powder, it can spread easily.

- Follow label directions to refrigerate products containing raw dough or eggs until they are cooked.

- Clean up thoroughly after handling flour, eggs, or raw dough:

- Wash your hands with running water and soap after handling flour, raw eggs, or any surfaces that they have touched.

- Wash bowls, utensils, countertops, and other surfaces with warm, soapy water.

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