Personal Injury Law

Nestle Tollhouse cookies to cook the crap out of flour; does that mean flour was suspected in 2009 E. coli O157:H7 outbreak?

By Doug Powell

Newly heartbroken relationship victims were further devastated in June 2009 after Nestle Tollhouse cookie dough was linked to an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that sickened at least 66 people in 28 states.

The company never said what ingredient carried the dangerous E. coli.

On January 11, 2010, Nestle informed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that two samples of Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough manufactured at the Danville, Virginia facility had tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. The product never left the plant.

But in response, Nestle USA's Baking Division announced today it will begin using heat-treated flour in the manufacture of its Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough.

Production with the new ingredient will begin the week of January 25, and the product will begin to appear on grocery store shelves in early March. Consumers may notice some shortages on store shelves as we implement this change at the factory.

Does that mean the flour is the suspect ingredient carrying E. coli O157:H7? If so, other manufacturers of products that may be eaten raw should take note.

The company says don't eat raw cookie dough.
 

Full post as published by BarfBlog on January 13, 2010 (boomark / email).