Salmonella outbreak linked to raw cookie dough sold at Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza stores

News Desk

1 year ago

The CDC, along with state and federal partners, is investigating reports of 18 Salmonella infections in 6 states–Washington (6), Oregon (4), Idaho (4), Utah (2), California (1) and Missouri (1). Two people have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported.

Interviews with sick people show that raw cookie dough sold at Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza stores may be contaminated with Salmonella and may be making people sick. People reported eating the cookie dough raw.

Papa Murphy’s has temporarily stopped selling their raw chocolate chip cookie dough and raw S’mores bars dough.

Investigators are working to identify the contaminated ingredient in the raw cookie dough.

The true number of sick people is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreaks may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella.

The CDC recommends the following:

Check your refrigerator and freezer for Papa Murphy’s chocolate chip cookie dough or S’mores bars dough. Throw the dough away, even if you didn’t get sick after eating some of it.
Wash items and surfaces that may have touched the dough using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.
Always follow cookie dough baking instructions in the recipe or on the package label.
Papa Murphy’s chocolate chip cookie dough and S’mores bars dough are not meant to be eaten raw.
Some other companies make edible cookie dough that does not have to be baked. These products are made with heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs or no eggs. Read the label carefully to make sure the dough is meant to be eaten without baking or cooking.

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Most people infected with Salmonella experience diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.

Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the bacteria. Most people recover without treatment after 4 to 7 days.

Some people—especially children younger than 5 years, adults 65 years and older, and people with weakened immune systems—may experience more severe illnesses that require medical treatment or hospitalization.