E-COLI TAINTED COOKIE DOUGH LINKED TO RECENT OUTBREAK OF ILLNESS
An outbreak of illness that has affected at least 72 people in 30 states has been linked to tainted raw chocolate chip cookie dough. At a Nestle plant in Danville, Virginia, federal investigators found the E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in a 16.5-ounce cookie dough package that had a day code of 9041 and a "best before 10 JUN 2009." Food and Drug Administration researchers have tested the bacteria in the cookie dough and confirmed that it contains the same genetic fingerprint as the E. coli linked to the recent outbreak.
The Center for Disease Control has reported that among the 72 people affected, 51 have been confirmed to have the outbreak strain. Thirty-four people have been hospitalized and ten have reportedly developed a kidney disease called hemolytic uremic syndrome. No deaths have been linked to the outbreak.
Nestle's Danville, Virginia plant has been closed since June 18, 2009.
