Big huge recall of Nestle raw cookie dough products due to E. coli. I know these products are popular (we used to have them in the house all the time), so I thought I’d pass along the link to the information on the recall, which includes ALL Nestle cookie dough products (though not ice cream products containing raw cookie dough — yet, anyway).

E. Coli is somewhat unexpected from raw cookie dough. Salmonella, yes. Raw eggs can give you a nasty case of food poisoning, but E. coli in raw cookie dough? Pretty damn unusual.

Epidemiologists are puzzled as to how it could have gotten there in the first place.

“It would be easier to explain salmonella getting into cookie dough,” said Keene.

The E. coli is predominantly found in the digestive tracks of ruminant animals such as cattle, goats and sheep.

“Past cases have been linked to raw produce, ground beef, venison, raw milk, juices and many other things, but this comes a bit out of left field,” Keene said.

He said it was possible though not probable that an infected Nestle worker was the source of contamination.

Well, then … if an infected worker isn’t probable, than why are 66 people very sick after eating Nestle raw cookie dough? Came from somewhere, didn’t it?

Oh, and Nestle says we should never ever eat raw cookie dough. Ever! Which is why their raw cookie dough can be found in all manner of ice cream products, right? I’ve been eating raw cookie dough my entire life. But then … mine was made at home, and I wash my hands (and eggs) before mixing up a batch of cookies. I suggest everyone start making their own cookie dough. It’s not hard, and homemade cookies are so much better than the instant stuff (and apparently safer as well).