The holiday season is officially here and in preparation for all of the cooking and baking that will occur over the coming weeks the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has shared some tips to ensure floury holiday goodies are both safe to eat and tasty. Because it is a raw agricultural product, raw flour can contain harmful bacteria such as E. Coli and Salmonella. These harmful bacteria can cause foodborne illness, or “food poisoning” which is not what anyone wants to experience during the holiday season. Keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy this holiday by following the FDA’s raw food safety tips.
Do!
- DO follow package directions on baking mixes and other flour containing products for correct cooking temperatures and specified times.
- DO keep all raw foods, like flour and eggs, separate from ready-to eat foods. Remember, flour is a powder and spreads easily.
- DO refrigerate cookie and pastry dough according to package directions. Use a refrigerator thermometer to be sure your refrigerator is at a safe 40°F.
- DO clean up carefully after working with flour or raw dough and eggs:
- Wash hands thoroughly with soap and running water, and,
- Wash utensils, bowls, baking pans and cutting boards, and countertops with warm, soapy water.
Don’t!
- DO NOT eat, taste, or allow children to eat or play with raw dough products or baking mix before cooking.
- DO NOT keep recalled flour. Throw it away.
- DO NOT let children use raw dough for crafts or play clay.
- DO NOT use products that contain raw flour, like cake mix, to make ready-to-eat products like milkshakes.
- DO NOT try to heat treat flour in your own home. Home treatments of flour may not effectively kill all bacteria and do not make it safe to eat raw.
- DO NOT use raw cookie dough in ready-to-eat ice cream.
Be sure to check out the FDA’s full list of holiday food safety tips and visit the FDA’s website for more information about food safety.
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