The Saturday programs at the “Can Do” Street Recreation Center were in full swing. It was the first meeting of the “Can Do Kids Chefs Club. They were making chocolate chip cookies under the watchful eyes of Grandma Hattie and Grandma Frances.

Just as the cookies were ready to be shaped and put on the cookie sheet, Grandma Hattie saw Kathy take a ball of raw dough and start to put it in her mouth.  Grandma Hattie said, “Stop Kathy, don’t eat that raw dough!” Kathy quickly put the dough down, but then said, “I do this all the time at home; my mom does it too. What’s wrong with eating cookie dough anyway?”

“What’s wrong with it child,” said Grandma Hattie. “Why just one lick can make you sick! No one of any age should eat raw cookie dough or cake batter because it could contain germs that cause illness. Whether it’s pre-packaged or homemade, the heat from baking is required to kill germs that might be in the raw ingredients.”

“Besides,” added Grandma Frances, “the finished, baked product tastes far better! Remember, kids who eat raw cookie dough and cake batter are at greater risk of getting food poisoning than most adults are.”

So remember boys and girls at home, don’t take a lick of batter; it can make you sick!

Source: The Partnership for Food Safety Education 2013