The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is issuing a notice after officials said multiple cases of salmonella poisoning were reported by people who consumed raw flour.
The CDC reported that 12 people have suffered from the infection so far, and three people have been hospitalized as a result. At this time, no such cases have been reported to the CDC out of Florida.
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According to the CDC, most of those suffering from salmonella poisoning reported eating raw dough or batter made with flour before they got sick.
CDC officials said that investigators are trying to identify a specific brand of flour linked to the illnesses, but consumers are urged to avoid eating unbaked flour in the meantime.
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“Flour doesn’t look like a raw food, but most flour is raw. This means that it hasn’t been treated to kill germs that cause food poisoning,” a statement on the CDC’s website reads. “Any raw (unbaked) flour used to make dough or batter can be contaminated with germs like salmonella, but salmonella germs are killed when flour is cooked or baked.”
The CDC states that consuming even a small amount of raw dough or batter can make adults or children sick. As such, the agency provided the following advice:
- Bake or cook food made with raw flour before eating it.
- Wash any bowls, utensils and surfaces — including your hands — with warm water and soap if they touched raw flour.
- Keep raw flour, dough and batter separate from foods that won’t be cooked.
CDC officials explained that most people infected with salmonella experience diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Symptoms usually start between six hours and six days after swallowing the bacteria, though most people recover without treatment after four to seven days, officials added.
However, children younger than 5 years, adults ages 65 and older, and those with weakened immune symptoms can experience more severe symptoms that require medical treatment or hospitalization, according to the CDC.
For more information, visit the CDC’s website here.
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