Warning: Cookie Dough E. coli Illnesses

I grew up eating cookie dough.

When I was little, I asked Mom to put cookie dough in my lunch box instead of cookies, and she did. I've eaten homemade cookie dough and store-bought cookie dough most of my life. It's always been this crazy favorite food of mine. It's strange to think back on my little lunch box and all of the unrefrigerated cookie dough I used to eat.

Since I gave up sugar in 2008, I still make cookies and taste the cookie dough, but sugar-free cookie dough has not been as exciting as the actual sugar-free cookie resulting. It's been a while since I've enjoyed cookie dough...

Last night on a late-night walk around the city, my husband got a hankerin' for ice cream. We stopped in at a little market and he bought a pint of B&J's cookie dough ice cream and ate most of the cookie dough right off the bat.

This morning we learned of the E. coli illnesses related to the ingestion of Nestle cookie dough. There are far-reaching implications, but simply put, it made me really sad and nostalgic.

Here are some links reporting on the problem:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "As of Thursday, June 18, 2009, 65 persons infected with a strain of E. coli O157:H7 with a particular DNA fingerprint have been reported from 29 states."

KGW News/Associated Press "Food maker Nestle USA on Friday voluntarily recalled its Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products after a number of illnesses were reported by those who ate the dough raw."

Food Politics "If cookie dough is the culprit, how on earth did this nasty form of E. coli, usually excreted by farm animals, get into it? The endless mantra is that we need prevention: HACCP, pathogen testing, and independent third-party verification."

Center for Science in the Public Interest "We urge the House to pass the Food Safety Enhancement Act now."

Marler Blog "Nestle should step up now and pay E. coli 0157:H7 culture-positive victims’ medical bills and lost wages."

Be sure to dispose of this product, and pass this information along!