(NETWORK INDIANA) We’re all tempted to lick the bowl when someone in your family is baking cookies, but the CDC is warning you not to do that.
Jaime Redkey, who ironically works in infection prevention at Riley Hospital, learned that the hard way when her husband ate some of the cookie dough he was using to make cookies recently. It was part of his “special secret” recipe.
“It was horrible for him,” she told WISH-TV. He couldn’t eat. He was in terrible pain, to the pint they had to put him on a pain pump.”
Her husband was in the hospital for four days, diagnosed with salmonella. Redkey said it likely came from a batch of eggs that he used that were close to going bad.
“He used some eggs that were older: Within eight hours or so after consuming the cookie dough, he started to feel ill.” Redkey said. “He had abdominal pain, cramping.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns raw dough can contain bacteria that causes diseases.
“Salmonella can lead all the way up to a blood infection. You may run into issues with potential kidney failure,” said IU Health infection preventionist Adam Karcz.
The CDC also warns the flour in that raw cookie dough or batter could get you sick. In 2016 and summer 2019, two outbreaks of E. coli infections linked to raw flour made more than 80 people sick nationwide.
