As the holiday season approaches, resist the temptation to taste uncooked batter or dough, no matter how delicious it might be.

You have probably heard it’s a bad idea to eat uncooked dough because it contains raw eggs. But raw flour can also make you sick and is not safe to eat until properly cooked. Bacteria can contaminate grains in the fields or throughout the grain transportation and flour production system. Flour from milled grain is typically not treated to kill bacteria.

What about cookie dough ice cream? Commercially purchased cookie dough ice cream should be safe because it contains heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs. Store bought cookie dough for baking, may not be the same and it is important to follow package directions when baking.

You might have licked cake batter or cookie dough from spoons lots of times with no ill effects, but some haven’t been so lucky. Food safety tips for preparing baked goods to keep your family safe this holiday season:

• Don’t eat uncooked dough, batter, or other foods containing raw flour or eggs.
• Cook or bake foods to proper temperatures and follow recipes or package directions.
• As with raw meat, keep raw flour or eggs separate from ready-to-eat foods.
• Clean bowls, utensils, countertops and other surfaces thoroughly after use.
• Wash hands often.

More Food Safety at https://www.southwind.k-state.edu/health-nutrition/

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