Raw flour: Don’t lick the spoon
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The bottom line
Eating raw flour is not advisable since it can cause food poisoning from bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Homemade play dough is not safe for children since it contains raw flour. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), abdominal cramps, fever, and headache. Treatment may include oral or intravenous fluids, depending on severity.
Prevention tips
Keep raw flour and dough up, away, and out of reach of children.
Fully bake recipes with flour.
Avoid tasting or eating raw flour, dough, or batter.
Don’t make homemade play dough with raw flour.
Wash hands after handling raw flour.
Keep raw flour, dough, and batter separate from foods that won’t be cooked.
Wash utensils, bowls, and countertop after handling raw flour.
This really happened
A 2-year-old boy was playing with homemade play dough. The mother made the play dough with flour, salt, cream of tartar, vegetable oil, and water. The child swallowed a small amount while playing and put his fingers in his mouth. The mother wiped out his mouth but did nothing further as she did not think it was a problem. One day later, he developed watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever. The mother contacted the pediatrician, who referred the child to the emergency department. In the emergency department, the child was treated with intravenous fluids. Stool culture was positive for E. coli. Since he was not vomiting, he was discharged home with instructions for oral hydration. Symptoms resolved gradually over the next few days.
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Is raw flour safe to eat?
No, it is not safe to eat raw flour. Eating raw flour can cause food poisoning. Wheat can pick up bacteria and animal waste in the field before it's milled into flour.
Risks associated with raw flour
The risk of consuming raw flour is bacterial food poisoning, including E. coli and Salmonella. Milling and bleaching flour does not kill these bacteria. High-risk groups for illness include children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.
Symptoms of illness from contaminated flour
Symptoms are mainly gastrointestinal and include vomiting, diarrhea (including bloody diarrhea), and abdominal cramps. Fever and headache are also possible. E. coli food poisoning has a delayed onset of 3–4 days, but symptoms can occur as early as 1 day after consumption. The usual onset for Salmonella is 12–72 hours, but symptoms can occur as early as 6 hours or as late as 6 days after consumption.
One serious consequence of E. coli infection is a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS typically begins with severe stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea. After 1-2 weeks, people develop anemia, bruising, bleeding, dark urine, decreased or no urine, swelling in the legs, and neurological symptoms like confusion, seizures, or stroke. HUS is a life-threatening medical emergency.
Homemade cookie dough: Is it safe?
No. Raw homemade cookie dough is not safe to eat because it can contain harmful bacteria. Baking the dough kills these bacteria, making the cookies safe to eat. Homemade play dough (including homemade versions of PlayDoh) is also not safe since young children may put it in their mouths or lick their fingers after handling it.
Can children get sick from eating raw flour or dough?
Yes, children can get sick from eating raw flour or dough. Simply playing with it and then putting their hands in their mouths poses a risk of infection.
What should I do if someone ate raw flour?
If someone eats raw flour, observe for signs of gastrointestinal illness. If symptoms are mild, keep the person well hydrated with oral fluids. Contact a health care professional if someone has diarrhea for more than 2 days, diarrhea is bloody, fever is higher than 102 degrees, vomiting is so severe that someone can’t keep fluids down, or the person appears dehydrated (dry mouth, decreased urination).
If you suspect you are experiencing E. coli or Salmonella food poisoning, or have questions about raw flour, use the webPOISONCONTROL® online tool to get help, or call your poison center at 1-800-222-1222. Whether online or by phone, expert guidance is always free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.
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