(and not for the reason you probably think). Is there anyone who hasn’t eaten raw cookie dough at some point in their life? It’s one of the joys of baking your own cookies. Most cookies contain eggs, and you’re probably aware of the small risk of salmonella infection from consuming raw eggs. Sometimes the problem is not caused by raw eggs though. Back in 2009, Nestle issued a recall of 3.6 million packages of its popular Toll House cookie dough, because more than 69 people in 25 different states became very ill  with E. coli food poisoning. Typical symptoms of E. coli food poisoning include vomiting, abdominal cramps and bloody diarrhea. Tragically, one woman actually died. The cause was traced back to contaminated flour; something most people wouldn’t think of. Nestle has since added a warning to the packet of cookie dough, stating it should not be eaten raw. The company also began heat treating the flour. According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately one in six Americans becomes sick with food poisoning every year, with about 3,000 deaths. You are far more likely to come down with food poisoning from undercooked meat, or items that have been in contact with raw meat. Still, it’s good to be aware of the risks, especially since a large number of cookies will get baked across America this week.