The holidays are officially here, and in preparation for all the cooking and baking that will take place in the coming weeks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has shared some tips to ensure floral holiday treats are both safe to eat and delicious are. 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 holidays. Keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy this holiday by following the FDA’s raw food safety tips.
Doing!
- DOING follow the directions on the packaging of baking mixes and other flour-containing products for proper cooking temperatures and specified times.
- DOING keep all raw foods, such as flour and eggs, separate from ready-to-eat foods. Remember that flour is a powder and spreads easily.
- DOING Store the cookie and pastry dough in the refrigerator according to package directions. Use a refrigerator thermometer to ensure your refrigerator is at a safe temperature of 40°F.
- DOING 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, cutting boards and countertops with warm, soapy water.
Don’t!
- DON’T eat, taste or let children eat or play with raw dough products or baking mix before cooking.
- DON’T stay recalled flower. Throw it away.
- DON’T let children use raw dough to make crafts or play with clay.
- DON’T use products that contain raw flour, such as cake mix, to make ready-to-drink products such as milkshakes.
- DON’T try heat treating flour in your own home. Home treatments with flour may not kill all bacteria effectively and may not make it safe to eat raw.
- DON’T use raw cookie dough in ready-made ice cream.
Make sure you check out the FDAs complete list of holiday food safety tips and visit the FDA website for more information about food safety.