The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning bakers to avoid eating raw flour amid a salmonella outbreak across the country.
The CDC said in a statement on March 30 that investigators are working to identify a specific brand of flour linked to the outbreak and that everyone should be cautioned against consuming raw flour from any company.
So far, there have been 12 illnesses — including three hospitalizations — across 11 states: Oregon, California, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia and New York.
The CDC reports most of the people impacted said they'd eaten raw dough or batter made with flour before they got sick, and that flour was the only common ingredient across cases.
People infected with salmonella typically experience diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, according to the CDC. Symptoms usually start six hours to six days after ingestion. Most people recover without treatment in a few days but children under 5, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems may require medical treatment or hospitalization.
In addition to not eating raw flour or dough, the CDC recommends sanitizing any bowls, utensils or surfaces that may come into contact with raw flour, as well as washing your hands with warm water and soap before and after using the ingredient.
This is not the first time federal agencies have warned against eating raw dough. In 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a press release for the holiday season noting that 2016 had seen dozens of people sickened by E. coli across the country after eating the stuff.
