Papa Murphy's Cookie Dough Is Being Linked To A Salmonella Outbreak
Cookie dough lovers, beware. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in partnership with state agencies are looking into a salmonella outbreak that has been tied back to Papa Murphy's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and S'mores Bars Cookie Dough. The cookie doughs are sold in raw form at Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake pizza store locations and while they are meant to be cooked before consumed, there have been reports of consumers eating the cookie dough raw, which has allegedly led to salmonella infection.
While Papa Murphy's has locations in 36 states, the salmonella outbreak has affected 18 people in six states including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Utah, and Missouri, according to a map distributed by the CDC. While at the time of this writing the situation appears to be an "investigation" rather than a recall, consumers should still not consume the cookie dough and if they have purchased it, they should throw it in the trash and wash any potentially contaminated cooking utensils or surfaces with hot water and soap.
Symptoms of salmonella and the risk of eating raw cookie dough
Salmonella infection is serious, and if you or a loved one believe you have been exposed, you should seek medical attention. Per the Mayo Clinic, symptoms might include fever, headache, chills, and gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or blood in the stool. Symptoms generally appear between eight and 72 hours after exposure. Older, younger, and those people with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to salmonella infection.
Salmonella poisoning can be caused by the inclusion of raw eggs, raw flour, or milk products in a food, and while the CDC notes most cookie dough contain raw eggs and raw flour, part of the ongoing investigation is to determine what ingredients in these particular Papa Murphy's cookie doughs exactly are causing the salmonella outbreak.
The CDC also notes that while some cookie doughs are designed to be eaten raw, these cookie dough from Papa Murphy's are not some of them.