Nestle recalls all varieties of Toll House cookie dough

Nestle today recalled all varieties of its Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products after a number of illnesses were reported by those who ate the dough raw. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control are investigating reported E. coli illnesses that might be related to eating the dough. There have been 66 reports of illness across 28 states since March. About 25 people have been hospitalized, seven with a severe complication called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS).

Since March? Why are we just learning about this now?

"If there was anyone left in America who didn’t realize we need to reform the food safety functions at the FDA, this latest recall of Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough provides a sobering wake up call," said Sarah Klein an attorney at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "Once again the agency is forced to react after illnesses are already occurring, when the focus should be on preventing contamination in the first place."

The Nestle recall includes 47 products—some of which may still be in your refrigerator. Included are: refrigerated cookie bar dough, cookie dough tub, cookie dough tubes, limited edition cookie dough items, seasonal cookie dough and Ultimates cookie bar dough. It extends to chocolate chip dough and other varieties, including gingerbread, sugar and peanut butter cookie dough. The full list can be found on Nestle's Web site and in the company's press release about the recall.

The FDA advises that if consumers have any prepackaged, refrigerated Nestle Toll House cookie dough products in their home that they throw them away. Cooking the dough is not recommended because consumers might get the bacteria on their hands and on other cooking surfaces.

E. coli O157:H7 causes abdominal cramping, vomiting and a diarrheal illness, often with bloody stools. Most healthy adults can recover completely within a week. Young children and the elderly are at highest risk for developing HUS, which can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

Although there is a known risk of salmonella contamination in raw cookie dough (from uncooked eggs), E. coli contamination is rare. One possible source may be milk products, although that has not yet been determined, according to the FDA.

The FDA—and Nestle on its packaging—recommends against eating raw cookie dough but Consumer Reports found in a recent survey that 39 percent of respondents reported eating raw dough while baking.

The new food safety bill that is working its way through Congress will require more frequent inspections of food processing plants to ensure sanitary manufacturing practices are in place—and it will give the FDA authority to eventually set up microbial testing standards.  The bill will also give FDA mandatory recall authority in the event of foodborne illness outbreaks and will provide for fines to be levied against companies that violate food safety laws. (This recall was classified as "voluntary" under current laws.)