At least 18 people across the US have been struck down with Salmonella and E.coli infections following the consumption of two products manufactured by pizza chain Papa Murphy’s. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has found that the food chain’s raw chocolate chip cookie dough and s’mores bar cookie dough, which was manufactured by an outside vendor, contained the hazardous bacteria. Twelve of the 14 cases examined by the FDA revealed that they had consumed the raw cookie dough products, including nine that specified they had eaten Papa Murphy’s cookie dough products.
Salmonella can cause diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal cramping from one to seven days after exposure to the germs. E.coli poisoning takes up to 10 days to develop but can cause symptoms from severe stomach cramps to vomiting and diarrhoea. The symptoms associated with both bacterial infections are often painful and unpleasant and, in rare cases, can lead to fatalities. Infants, people over the age of 65 and individuals with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to severe illness.
The latest outbreak of foodborne illness comes just six months after Papa Murphy’s cookie dough was recalled due to salmonella contamination. The company is recalling its products from stores in Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin as a precautionary measure. Meanwhile, the Idaho Division of Public Health has identified four people in the state who have contracted salmonella infections linked to the chain’s cookie dough consumption. Health officials in Oregon and Washington are also investigating a number of reports of Salmonella believed to be associated with Papa Murphy’s cookie dough products, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that other states could also be affected.
The emergence of the latest outbreak of E.coli comes on the back of a recall by General Mills, which was linked to a 21-state E.coli outbreak and was also associated with the use of raw cookie dough by consumers. The strain of the bacteria is believed to be the same as that behind a 2009 recall involving Nestlé.
Consumers who have purchased the cookie dough from Papa Murphy’s are being urged to dispose of it immediately and wash any items, utensils, and food preparation surfaces that may have come into contact with it. Papa Murphy’s has ceased the sale of its raw cookie dough products until the supplier is given the all-clear. The chain operates in more than 1,500 locations across the US.
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