Why You Shouldn’t Eat Cake Batter
Posted in E. coli,Our Blog on July 16, 2024
Growing up I loved baking with my Mom and my Grandmas. It was just something that brought happiness to our family. I continue that with my kids now but as we know more food safety rules than we did in the 80s my kids do not consume the cake batter and they aren’t encouraged to “lick the beater” as I was. Today, we dive into why you shouldn’t eat cake batter and find out the real reasons.
Cake batter– obviously the essential part of baking a cake. Whether you bake them from the box mix or you go all hands in and bake from scratch the same rules apply. Just in the past years E. coli infections were linked to the consumption of cake batter. Outbreaks from flour, a raw ingredient in cake mix, have happened before. In 2016 and 2019, CDC investigated E. coli outbreaks linked to flour that led to more than 80 people getting sick and 20 people being hospitalized.
While flour might not look like raw food, most flour is raw. That means it hasn’t been treated to kill germs that cause food poisoning.
These harmful germs can contaminate grain while it’s still in the field or flour while it’s being made. Steps like grinding grain and bleaching flour don’t kill harmful germs—and these germs can end up in flour or baking mixes you buy at the store. You can get sick if you eat unbaked dough or batter made with flour containing germs. Germs are killed only when flour is baked or cooked.
Raw eggs are another ingredient in dough and batter that can make you or your loved ones sick. Raw and lightly cooked eggs can contain Salmonella, a germ that causes food poisoning.
Follow these practices to prevent food poisoning when you are baking and cooking with flour and other raw ingredients.
- Do not taste or eat any raw dough or batter. This includes dough or batter for cookies, brownies, cakes, pie crusts, tortillas, pizza, biscuits, pancakes, or crafts made with raw flour, such as homemade play dough or holiday ornaments.
- Do not let children play with or eat raw dough, including dough for crafts.
- Bake raw dough, such as cookie dough, and batter, such as cake mix, before eating.
- Follow the recipe or package directions for cooking or baking. Use the temperature and cooking time given in the recipe or directions.
- Do not make milkshakes with products that contain raw eggs or raw flour, such as cake mix or cookie dough.
- Do not use raw homemade cookie dough in ice cream.
- Cookie dough ice cream sold in stores contains dough that has been treated to kill harmful germs.
- Keep raw foods, such as flour and eggs, separate from ready-to-eat foods. Because flour is a powder, it can spread easily.
- Follow label directions to refrigerate products containing raw dough or eggs until they are baked or cooked (for example, store-bought cookie dough).
- Clean up thoroughly after handling flour, eggs, or raw dough.
- Wash your hands with soap and water after handling flour, raw eggs, or any surfaces they have touched.
- Wash bowls, utensils, countertops, and other surfaces with hot, soapy water.
E. coli Symptoms
Symptoms of E. coli (Escherichia coli) infection can vary depending on the strain of E. coli and can include:
- Diarrhea: Can be mild and watery or severe and bloody. It can last more than three days.
- Stomach cramps: Can be severe.
- Fever: Usually under 101° F.
- Nausea and vomiting: In some people.
- Gas: In some cases.
- Loss of appetite: In some cases.
E. coli can affect anyone who is exposed to the bacteria. But some people are more likely to develop problems than are others. Risk factors include:
- Age. Young children and older adults are at higher risk of experiencing illness caused by E. coli and more-serious complications from the infection.
- Weakened immune systems. People who have weakened immune systems — from AIDS or from drugs to treat cancer or prevent the rejection of organ transplants — are more likely to become ill from ingesting E. coli.
- Eating certain types of food. Riskier foods include undercooked hamburger; unpasteurized milk, apple juice or cider; and soft cheeses made from raw milk.
- Time of year. Though it’s not clear why, the majority of E. coli infections in the U.S. occur from June through September.
- Decreased stomach acid levels. Stomach acid offers some protection against E. coli. If you take medications to reduce stomach acid, such as esomeprazole (Nexium), pantoprazole (Protonix), lansoprazole (Prevacid) and omeprazole (Prilosec), you may increase your risk of an E. coli infection.
Here at Make Food Safe we love to see family traditions continue and thrive, but want to make sure you know the best safe practices to keep you and your family safe, happy and healthy.
By: Samatha Cooper
