Is it safe to eat unbaked cookie dough? Dr. Maya Roseman explains

Do you also like unbaked cookie dough? You should really read this: the lovely listener Oren asked about it, so I brought you three reasons why it is dangerous to eat cookie dough, and who really shouldn’t?In a fresh unbaked egg there is a risk of salmonella bacteria, which causes food poisoning. This is true, by the way, for all foods with fresh egg and not just dough – for example mayonnaise has fresh egg and sometimes chocolate mousse as well.

Who is it dangerous for?

Mainly for small children or the elderly, or people with a weakened immune system due to certain diseases/drug treatments that weaken the immune system.

Unbaked flour – may contain the E. coli bacteria. This bacterium is not dangerous but may indicate the presence of other infections that are dangerous. E-coli has already been found in unbaked flour.

Unbaked flour as well as uncooked legumes are more difficult to digest, and may cause stomach aches in some people. The process of baking or cooking is like the beginning of a process of digestion and decomposition. Matzah, for example, cause stomach aches in some people for this reason – baking the matzah takes only a few seconds.

What’s the bottom line?

Unbaked dough may be dangerous for small children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. In other cases – the risk is probably quite low, and if you are willing to take that risk – in my opinion, the worst thing that can happen to you is a stomach ache or two days of upset stomach, if at all… low risk.