Last week, Nestlé announced a voluntary recall of its Toll House chocolate chip cookie dough (frozen and refrigerated) after it was suspected to be the source of an outbreak of E. coli 0157. With over 70 people falling ill to this strain of E. coli since March, the FDA is investigating the link between the cookie dough and the outbreak.
Responses to a food questionnaire by those who became sick found the eating of raw cookie dough was a common factor. Tests conducted by Nestlé have not discovered any E. coli in its recalled products. Additional information and a full list of the recalled items can be found on Nestlé ‘s website.
Whereas salmonella poisoning is more typically linked to consuming raw, homemade cookie dough, E. coli contamination is usually associated with animal products not found among the ingredients of the cookies.
This recall adds to other recent high profile cases of contamination in the United States of peanuts and pistachios. Food safety has been made a priority by the Obama administration, and this case adds to calls for new approaches to ensuring safe products in the U.S. food supply.
