In response to warnings made by the FDA that the product may be tainted with E-Coli bacteria, Nestle issued a voluntary recall of their Toll House Frozen cookie dough products last Wednesday.

The strain of E-Coli that caused the recall has the following symptoms:

E. coli O157:H7 causes abdominal cramping, vomiting and a diarrheal illness, often with bloody stools. Most healthy adults can recover completely within a week. Young children and the elderly are at highest risk for developing HUS, which can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

But there’s one side effect that is affecting a lot more people than first anticipated. Nestle has had to temporarily lay off over 200 people who worked in the area of the factory where the cookie dough was made.

On Monday, Nestle spokeswoman Roz O’Hearn at the Danville, Virginia, facility where the company was churning out refrigerated cookie-dough products until last Thursday said:

“It’s likely that we’re going to have some temporary layoffs at that facility.
Some 550 people work at the factory, but only about half of them work on cookie dough. The rest work on Buitoni pasta and sauce in a separate facility at the plant.”

Side Effect of E-Coli Tainted Nestle Cookie Dough – 200 Layoffs is a post from: The Inquisitr

The FDA and Nestle have issued a voluntary recall on all packaged frozen cookie dough, saying that it is tainted by E. Coli O157:H7, a food borne bacteria that can cause severe abdominal cramping, vomiting and diarrhea.

Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough Recall Full Press Release

See the links at the end for more information on the Nestle cookie dough recall.

FDA Warns Consumers Not to Eat Nestle Toll House Prepackaged, Refrigerated Cookie Dough
Nestle Voluntarily Recalls all Varieties of Prepackaged, Refrigerated Toll House Cookie Dough

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning consumers not to eat any varieties of prepackaged Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough due to the risk of contamination with E. coli O157:H7 (a bacterium that causes food borne illness).

The FDA advises that if consumers have any prepackaged, refrigerated Nestle Toll House cookie dough products in their home that they throw them away. Cooking the dough is not recommended because consumers might get the bacteria on their hands and on other cooking surfaces.

Retailers, restaurateurs, and personnel at other food-service operations should not sell or serve any Nestle Toll House prepackaged, refrigerated cookie dough products subject to the recall.

Nestle USA, which manufactures and markets the Toll House cookie dough, is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation by the FDA and CDC. The warning is based on an ongoing epidemiological study conducted by the CDC and several state and local health departments. Since March 2009 there have been 66 reports of illness across 28 states. Twenty-five persons were hospitalized; 7 with a severe complication called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). No one has died.

E. coli O157:H7 causes abdominal cramping, vomiting and a diarrheal illness, often with bloody stools. Most healthy adults can recover completely within a week. Young children and the elderly are at highest risk for developing HUS, which can lead to serious kidney damage and even death.

Individuals who have recently eaten prepackaged, refrigerated Toll House cookie dough and have experienced any of these symptoms should contact their doctor or health care provider immediately. Any such illnesses should be reported to state or local health authorities.

The FDA reminds consumers they should not eat raw food products that are intended for cooking or baking before consumption. Consumers should use safe food-handling practices when preparing such products, including following package directions for cooking at proper temperatures; washing hands, surfaces, and utensils after contact with these types of products; avoiding cross contamination; and refrigerating products properly.

For more information on safe food handling practices, go to http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm109899.htm.

Consumers who have additional questions about these products should contact Nestle consumer services at 1-800-559-5025 and/or visit their Web site at www.verybestbaking.com.

For a complete listing of the recalled products go to:
http://www.nestleusa.com/PubNews/PressReleaseLibraryDetails.aspx?id=133CC131-A79F-4E84-9C43-C9F99FE5BC99.

FDA: Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough Recall – Tainted by E. Coli O157:H7 is a post from: The Inquisitr