Packaged cookie dough--"DO NOT EAT RAW"?

We have returned from the weekly shopping trip and I'm confused. (Well, I'm often confused by the modern grocery store, but that's another post.) As I walked down the dairy aisle, I happened to espy enticing...nay, charismatic...little chubs of commercial chocolate chip cookie dough--"ready to bake." And while I, personally, would never, ever consider buying such a thing, I was puzzled to notice a nearly identical warning on every manufacturer's package: DO NOT EAT RAW. In large capital, often bold-faced, letters. Why, said I to myself, not? Surely there's nothing in there that's gonna make me sick. Or is there? The Lovely Dining Companion hypothesized that perhaps there are raw eggs in the mix. And in this age of hyper- uber- super-litigiousness, the manufacturers are merely protecting themselves from that one unlucky soul who would eat a smidge and get sick. Perhaps. But, said I to myself, really? Then it occurred to me: why not ask my friends?

And so I do. Friends: how come?

Are they afraid that if I (not meaning me, personally, of course) were to open a chub that I might consume the entire thing in one sitting? (Not such an impossible thought once upon a time, anyway). Or is the raw egg hypothesis? Or something entirely else?

It sounds like at least Nestle Toll House added the warning after reports of E. coli contamination last year. From the press release for the Toll House dough produced after the outbreak (via LA Times):

To make it easy for both retail partners and consumers to identify the new batch of cookie dough, a blue "New Batch" label will appear on all new production cookie dough items. NESTLE TOLL HOUSE shipping cases also are marked in blue (rather than the previous black) to denote new production and will contain the statement: "Do not consume raw cookie dough." The adoption of this distinct labeling is the result of helpful discussions between Food and Drug Administration officials and Nestle, following reports of E. coli O157:H7 illnesses that appeared to be related to the consumption of raw cookie dough.

There are spider eggs in the dough and they will grow inside your stomach until they force their way out. The kid who played Mikey in the Life cereal commercial died this way, it is a well-known fact.

But then I'm a cookie dough eating hater from way back.

Interesting. I doubt sincerely that they contain raw eggs, or frankly any ingredients that approach what one would make at home - I'm guessing they are offering a preemptive response to their more litigious customers.

Which brings up my least-favorite cookie dough story. A local school (not ours) decided to host a candy and cookie-dough fundraiser through one of those predatory fundraising companies that creates inferior product for just such a purpose, and then offers an incentive system so that the kids who participate feel bad about it afterwards. The frozen cookie dough came in 2-lb pails. We made the mistake of helping out a kid we knew, as not every child has the same ratio of enthusiasm to resources. Unbeknownst to us, the poor little guy wound up selling eight batches of cookie dough to the friends we recommended...which were dropped off at the school for him to deliver (no car in the family.) Of course, after struggling to walk home with 16 pounds of cookie dough, he eventually left it outside on his back porch at home, and distributed it the next day.

I called the company and offered a few choice words of what I thought of their entire fundraising system - and was told that even though the now-thoroughly-thawed cookie dough tubs (which weren't cheap...and weren't good) exhibited outward pressure, the cookie dough was still safe to re-freeze and eventually eat...I kid you not. Fortunately, they offered to send everyone who'd bought one of the tubs in question a free replacement via UPS.

Learning that I'd bought something that could survive freezing, thawing, re-freezing and eventual cooking did not endear me to premade frozen cookie dough.

Mhays wrote:Interesting. I doubt sincerely that they contain raw eggs....

Oh ye of little faith.

Sharon's post piqued my curiosity enough to get me up off my, um, Barcalounger and after a while Googling™ around, I discovered this from the helpful folks at Rodale:

"The raw eggs used in the cookie dough could be a possible source of contamination, although Nestlé claims to pasteurize the eggs used in raw dough to eliminate any pathogens. However, as other E. coli product recalls have revealed, other non-egg ingredients are just as likely to harbor bacteria." But I thought it was salmonella in raw eggs, not e. coli. What gives?

P.S. Personally, I kinda like Mike G's explanation best. Though I will confess that seeing those chubby little chubs of dough did bring back fond memories of dough-snacking in a former life. And just for the briefest moment (okay, ever since I saw the damn things!), I entertained the thought of buying a case or two. Who knows? Them commies might nuke us and I need something to nibble on while crouched under my desk for protection.

Tried it in a moment of desperation. Don't do it - you'll be sorry.

Mhays wrote:Tried it in a moment of desperation. Don't do it - you'll be sorry.

Are you speaking of commercial cookie dough in chubs (can you tell I like that word) or of homemade? I devoutly hope and believe you mean the former.

LOL - the commercial stuff! Seriously, nothing at all like homemade - you can taste every chemical.

Gypsy Boy wrote:I discovered this from the helpful folks at Rodale:

"The raw eggs used in the cookie dough could be a possible source of contamination, although Nestlé claims to pasteurize the eggs used in raw dough to eliminate any pathogens. However, as other E. coli product recalls have revealed, other non-egg ingredients are just as likely to harbor bacteria." But I thought it was salmonella in raw eggs, not e. coli. What gives?

After spending way too much time on this, it appears that the FDA/Nestle never did nail down the source of the e. coli in the cookie dough. Two preliminary conclusions appear to be warranted:

1. salmonella is associated with raw eggs, and
2. e. coli is almost associated in some fashion, in some way, no matter how indirect, with cows.

Since the Nestle ingredient list included both milkfat and whey, a sick cow (or cows) might have been responsible.

The recall on the cookie dough was a year ago. I bet they changed the ingredients since then.

Wow, back in the early 1960's that was a real treat for those of us away from home and at college. I went to college in rural Iowa and when we got really bored we'd walk over to the local supermarket and ogle the food and point at stuff and say "my mom makes......, I miss that...." This usually lead to buying on of the packages of pre-made dough and devouring them back at the dorm. Not that my mom made these, she was a great scratch baker and cook but it was instant gratification far away from home.