Warning over salmonella outbreak linked to cookie dough as 2 rushed to hospital

26 May 2023 , 20:06

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A total of 18 cases have been reported, but the total is likely much higher (Image: Getty Images/fStop)

Americans are being warned about a salmonella outbreak possibly being linked to cookie dough.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said at least 18 cases have been reported and resulted in two hospitalisations.

The health body warned that the cases are linked to Papa Murphy’s cookie dough. The company has since stopped selling its raw S'mores bars dough and raw chocolate chip cookie dough.

Papa Murphy's said their products are not meant to be eaten raw.

Cases are spread across states and Washington has the most with six and Oregon and Idaho have four.

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Case numbers of the outbreaks are likely higher than the figures reported, the CDC said.

The CDC warned against eating raw dough (Getty Images)

The organisation said "The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses.

"This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella."

Of the 14 patients interviewed, 12 of them said they recently ate at Papa Murphy’s.

There are around 1.35million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths caused by salmonella every year.

The CDC updated its 'Say No to Raw Dough' advice page in April and warns people of the following:

• Don’t eat or taste raw dough
• Avoid young children handling raw dough
• Uncooked flour and eggs can cause illness

The CDC said: "Flour doesn’t look like a raw food, but most flour is raw. That means it hasn’t been treated to kill germs that cause food poisoning, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella. These harmful germs can contaminate grain while it’s still in the field or flour while it’s being made.

Millions of Americans become sick with salmonella every year (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

"Steps like grinding grain and bleaching flour don’t kill harmful germs—and these germs can end up in flour or baking mixes you buy at the store. You can get sick if you eat unbaked dough or batter made with flour containing germs. Germs are killed only when flour is baked or cooked."

Symptoms of salmonella, according to the health body, include diarrhoea, fever, and stomach cramps.

Patients may begin to notice symptoms around six hours to six days after infection and they can last between four to seven days.

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In some cases, people "do not develop symptoms for several weeks after infection and others experience symptoms for several weeks".

Benjamin Lynch