When it comes to foods to be wary of during pregnancy, raw flour isn’t usually top of mind. But eating raw flour — and all of the foods it’s found in, like cookie dough batter and cake mix — can make you seriously ill.
Over the years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has linked multiple outbreaks of foodborne illnesses to raw flour. In 2019 alone, a bacterium called E. coli sickened more than 20 people, prompting a recall for nearly 10 types of flour and baking mixes.
Here’s what you need to know about raw flour — including why eating raw cookie dough isn't a great idea.
Can you eat raw flour during pregnancy?
No, you shouldn't eat raw flour in any form when you're pregnant.
It may seem harmless — especially compared to other off-limits pregnancy foods like sushi and undercooked meat — but raw flour can contain bacteria like E. coli, which can make you sick.
Flour is obtained from a grain that comes directly from a field, and it isn’t treated to kill bacteria. What’s more, typical pathogen-killing steps like baking, boiling, heating and frying aren’t taken before flour is packaged. So if there’s bacteria in the raw flour, it’s still going to be there when you handle it.
Plus, some of the foods that contain raw flour — like cookie dough — also include raw eggs. Raw or undercooked eggs can harbor salmonella bacteria and potentially cause food poisoning.
That means eating raw cookie dough and batter for cakes, pancakes, pizza and other treats isn't safe — especially during pregnancy.
What can happen if you eat raw flour when you're pregnant?
Eating raw flour can result in a case of food poisoning. Symptoms of foodborne illness can vary from person to person, but the CDC says that eating raw flour can cause the following symptoms (whether you're expecting or not):
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Bad stomach cramps
Diarrhea (sometimes with blood in it)
Vomiting
Fever
When you’re pregnant, though, food poisoning may be more severe and there's a chance it may affect your baby, since some of your body’s natural defenses have been suppressed during pregnancy.
Plus, the type of E. coli that shows up in raw flour is associated with a higher chance of hospitalizations compared to other pathogens.
What’s the best way to handle raw flour?
You should try to handle raw flour the same way you would handle raw meat. Keep raw flour away from other ready-to-eat foods. Wash your hands well after you touch it, sanitize your countertops after you use it and don’t eat flour products until they’re thoroughly cooked.
It’s also a good idea to check your pantry for old flour and any baking mixes that have flour in them. Since flour has a long shelf life, you may have a package that has been recalled in recent years.
A safer alternative to eating raw cookie dough? Look for edible cookie dough products with heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs or no eggs, which are specifically formulated to be eaten as-is.
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