Recent Outbreak of Salmonella, Sickening 18 to-Date, as Been Linked to Papa Murphy’s Cookie Dough
The CDC has announced an outbreak of salmonella linked to Papa Murphy’s, a popular pizza and cookie dough brand. The company’s slogan is “Take N’ Bake Pizza.” In this recall, however, the two suspected products/flavors are Chocolate Cookie Dough and Smores’ Bar Dough.
According to the report, 18 people reported being sick with salmonellosis. Health officials interviewed 16 of those people, and 14 of them reported eating food from Papa Murphy’s. Of the respondents, 9 individuals ate Papa Murphy’s cookie dough and 1 individual ate baked cookies from Papa Murphy’s. The sicknesses were reported in six states, with the first reported illness in February. Two people have been hospitalized so far in this salmonella outbreak.
Although a recall has not been effectuated yet, Papa Murphy’s has issued a voluntary Stop Sell, and the CDC strongly urges anybody who has purchased or received any Papa Murphy’s cookie dough to immediately discard or throw away the product.
Cookie dough is usually made with raw flour and raw eggs, and when not cooked, it can be very dangerous. Salmonella is commonly found in raw cookie dough and raw flour. The CDC urges anyone who has handled raw flour or cookie dough to immediately wash all dishes and surfaces. Wash your hands immediately before touching your face or anything else. It is more common and dangerous for anyone over the age of 60, infants, and people with weakened immune systems to contract this bacteria.
Salmonella Symptoms
According to the CDC, symptoms for salmonella can last for seven days to two weeks, and in some cases even longer. Symptoms include: diarrhea, bloody stool, fever, stomach cramps, vomiting, and dehydration. If symptoms last longer than 6 days or begin to escalate, it is recommended victims contact a doctor and have a stool culture performed.
If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of a Salmonella infection, contact your doctor immediately. Often, symptoms will persist for about a week but can remain for longer periods of time and can even be life-threatening. Proper diagnosis can help health officials track outbreaks and prevent others from becoming ill.
A national food poisoning lawyer, contacted for this story, said:
“People often eat raw cookie dough as part of the ritual of making cookies. There are even cookie dough flavored ice creams and other products out that there that lend a sort of legitimacy and safety to doing so. For this reason, it is often overlooked as a common source of salmonella. We have represented thousands of salmonella victims over the years, and in many of those cases, raw cookie and cake doughs/batters are to blame.”
