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FDA Confirms E. coli in Nestle Cookie Dough

Outbreak sickens 69 consumers in 29 states

June 30, 2009
The Food and Drug Administration says it has found 0157, the deadly strain of E. coli bacteria, in samples of Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough.

The dough originated at the company’s Danville, Va., production plant that was closed after raw cookie dough it produced was suspected in a dozen illnesses. The company recalled 30,000 cases of the dough earlier this month.

The contaminated sample was collected at Nestlé’s facility in Danville on June 25, the FDA said. The bacteria was not found inside the plant or on the equipment, but only in a tub of chocolate cookie dough made at the plant in February. The dough had a June 10, 2009 expiration date.

On June 19, the FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned consumers not to eat any varieties of prepackaged Nestlé Toll House refrigerated cookie dough due to the risk of contamination with E. coli O157:H7. The warning was based on an epidemiological study conducted by the CDC and several state and local health departments.

As of Thursday, June 25, the CDC reported that 69 persons from 29 states had been infected with the outbreak strain. Thirty-four persons have been hospitalized, nine with a severe complication called hemolytic uremic syndrome. No one has died.

Further laboratory testing is needed to conclusively link the E. coli strain found in the product to the same strain that is causing the outbreak, the agency said.

Nestlé USA has recalled all of its prepackaged Nestlé Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products.

What to do

The agencies said consumers should:

• Throw away any prepackaged, refrigerated Nestle Toll House cookie dough products you may have in your home.
• Do not cook the dough because you might get the bacteria on your hands and on other cooking surfaces.
• Contact your health care professional immediately if you or your family have recently eaten the dough and have had stomach cramps, vomiting or diarrhea, with or without bloody stools.
• If you have additional questions about the recalled products, contact Nestle consumer services at 800-559-5025 or visit the company’s Web site.

Safe Food Handling

FDA reminds consumers they should not eat raw food products that are intended for cooking or baking before eating. Use safe food-handling practices when preparing these products, including

• following package directions for cooking at proper temperatures
• washing hands, surfaces, and utensils after contact with these types of products
• avoiding cross-contamination
• refrigerating products properly

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