Who hasn't tasted the raw doughs of biscuits, sweets, quiches, etc. Often we only worry about the presence of uncooked eggs and therefore potentially dangerous for the transmission of Salmonella, but experts warn that there are also risks due to raw flour.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous
Who hasn't tasted the raw doughs of biscuits, sweets, quiches, etc. Often we only worry about the presence of uncooked eggs and therefore potentially dangerous for the transmission of Salmonella, but experts warn that there are also risks due to raw flour.
According to a study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, it seems that even flour can be dangerous in some cases. Reference is made to the investigation into an Escherichia coli (E. coli) outbreak that affected 56 people in 24 US states last summer and led to a recall of tons of flour.
The apparently harmless basic food of many mixtures of common recipes can in fact theoretically host their own strains of E. coli bacteria. This microorganism often lives and proliferates in humid environments such as meat or leafy green vegetables packed in bags but also thrives in dry environments. These bacteria can survive in a state of dehydration for months and then reactivate in contact with water.
And you don't even need large quantities to feel bad, even a small taste of flour or other contaminated food may be enough. As Samuel J. Crowe, lead author of the study and epidemiologist in the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said:
“Bacteria are not evenly distributed in a flour sack. A small amount could really hurt you. I've had E. Coli and salmonella and it's damn unpleasant ”.
Due to concerns about the consumption of raw eggs, many people avoid tasting doughs that contain them but often, experts warn, they underestimate the potential risks of flour.
In the case of E. Coli, in fact, people could find themselves struggling with bloody diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration and the risk of developing haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a specific type of kidney failure, more common in children under 5 years of age. age, elderly and people with weak immune systems.
In addition to refraining from tasting doughs that contain raw flour, experts advise people to wash their hands with hot soapy water immediately after handling the flour or using a rolling pin. On the other hand, there is no risk for the final product: cooking at high temperatures and prolonged will kill all pathogens that may be present.
On contamination and food poisoning, you may also be interested in:
- FOOD CONTAMINATION: VIRUSES ARE TRANSMITTED WITH THE KNIFE
- 7 TIPS TO AVOID FOOD POISONING IN THE HOME KITCHEN
- FOOD POISONING: HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FOOD-RELATED DISEASES
So let's remember these recommendations the next time we feel like licking the spoon or "making the shoe" in the bowl of the dough we are preparing.
