WASHINGTON (WATE) — The CDC is investigating reports of 18 Salmonella infections in 6 states that the agency says is linked to raw cookie dough sold at Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake stores.
Eighteen people have reported being ill, 2 have been hospitalized. No deaths reported, according to a CDC Food Safety Alert released Tuesday. Read the full alert.
CDC said in the alert that 9 of those sick people ate raw cookie dough sold at Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza stores the week before becoming ill. At least 2 sick people did not eat at Papa Murphy’s, the alert notes.
Investigators are working to identify the contaminated ingredient in the dough.
In the meantime, Papa Murphy’s has temporarily stopped selling their raw chocolate chip cookie dough and raw S’mores bars dough.
State and local agencies in Washington state, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, California and Missouri are assisting in the investigation. A timeline shows the first reported illness in February.
“The true number of sick people is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreaks may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella,” the CDC said in the alert.
What You Should Do:
- Check your refrigerator and freezer for Papa Murphy’s chocolate chip cookie dough or S’mores bars dough. Throw the dough away, even if you didn’t get sick after eating it.
- Wash items and surfaces that may have touched the dough using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.
- Always follow cookie dough baking instructions in the recipe or on the package label.
- Papa Murphy’s chocolate chip cookie dough and S’mores bars dough are not meant to be eaten raw.
- Some other companies make edible cookie dough that does not have to be baked. These products are made with heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs or no eggs. Read the label carefully to make sure the dough is meant to be eaten without baking or cooking.
About Salmonella:
- Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 6 hours to 6 days after being exposed to the bacteria.
- The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.
- In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient is hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other parts of the body.
- Children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe illness.
People with questions about cases in a particular state are asked to call that state’s health department.
