Your Cookies Aren't Safe From Foodborne Illness, Either
Yes, salmonella could be lurking in cookies. (Photo: Corbis)
When you think of your risk of contracting foodborne illness, there are some foods that spring to mind — sushi, raw spinach, undercooked meats. But now, research has found surprising new foods to add to the list: cookies and crackers.
New research published in the Journal of Food Protection discovered that Salmonella can live in cookie and cracker sandwiches for up to six months. For the study, scientists from the University of Georgia injected salmonella in cookies with high-sugar chocolate or peanut butter fillings and crackers with cheese or peanut butter fillings, and monitored them for 182 days.
What they discovered:
Higher concentrations of Salmonella survived for at least six months in the cookie and cracker sandwiches
Salmonella survived better in cookie sandwiches vs. the cracker sandwiches
The news is disturbing given that salmonella causes approximately 1.2 million illnesses and 450 deaths in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Young children, who are often cookie-eaters, are also at a greater risk of developing more serious symptoms from salmonella infection.
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While it sounds shocking that a seemingly innocent cookie could cause so much damage, Benjamin Chapman, PhD, an assistant professor and food safety extension specialist at North Carolina State University, tells Yahoo Health that he’s not at all surprised.
“This research demonstrates what we’ve thought possible and confirms it,” he says, adding that food safety experts have known that salmonella is “very hearty” when it’s dried (like in a cookie, cracker, or paste). “When the Salmonella cells are stressed by taking away water, they really can survive for a long time,” he says. Add a protective cookie or cracker sandwich to the mix, and Salmonella can thrive.
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Unfortunately, there’s no way to tell if your cookies or crackers are infected. According to Chapman, it takes just 10 or 20 salmonella cells to make a person sick with high-fat, low-moisture products like these, and they’re virtually undetectable. “They don’t show spoilage, you can’t smell them, and can’t see them,” he says.
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So…should you be worried? Chapman points out that the findings don’t change the safety of these types of treats — they’re as safe or unsafe as they were before the research was conducted.
However, if you’re concerned and can’t live without your cookie sandwiches, he recommends buying these products from companies that are transparent about food safety.
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