Today I was distressed to find out that my all-time favorite munchy, that least exotic of foods, Toll House chocolate chip cookie dough has been recalled. Chocolate chip cookie dough?!  Is nothing sacred?

Since March, the FDA reports that there have been 66 people in 28 states infected and ill with E. coli, and 25 hospitalizations, from this prepackaged refrigerated product. The FDA recommends throwing away any and all products of this type that you may have bought. Even cooking the dough before eating (which I have never done ) is not recommended, as the bacteria can contaminate hands or cooking utensils/surfaces.

It seems that every week another medication or food product is recalled. If you’re like me, you usually assume that the recall of those contaminated products doesn’t affect you. So you don’t pay close attention to these reports. After all, we’re healthy and young and don’t need those exotic medications that keep being recalled; and we buy our food from reputable places and are good about keeping clean when we prepare it so that it won’t be contaminated.

Not so fast. About the only certain truths in that last statement is that we may be healthy and that we may buy our food from reputable places. Many of the medications that are recalled are not particularly exotic; remember the over-the-counter appetite suppressants recently found to be dangerous, as well as the cold medications? Even acetaminophen (Tylenol) has come under recent review by the FDA because the doses always recommended are now thought to be too high for everyday use; new dosage recommendations are pending.

Even if you buy food from reputable grocers and are meticulous about keeping the countertop and utensils clean as you are preparing, you still may have unknowingly brought home something contaminated . Look at the peanut butter recall recently.

So I guess this is a lesson learned. We all need to keep informed of food and drug recalls and of reports of contamination. And we need to be aware that the most mundane of medications and the least gourmet of foods can be part of this group.  But, even after cookie dough is deemed safe again, I do not intend to ever cook it; it’s too good raw. Old habits die hard.

(In the interest of truth, I have not indulged in my favorite treat, raw chocolate chip cookie dough, in many years – since changing my diet to eat mostly nutritious foods. But – I still remember the deliciousness.)