Pizza chain’s cookie dough linked to Salmonella outbreak

WASHINGTON — A Salmonella outbreak that has sickened 18 and led to 2 hospitalizations has been linked to raw cookie dough from Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza, according to a May 23 alert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Investigators are working to identify the contaminated ingredient in the raw cookie dough, which is used for the take-and-bake pizza chain’s chocolate chip cookie dough and s’mores bars dough. In the meantime, Vancouver, Wash.-based Papa Murphy’s has stopped selling the raw cookie doughs, according to the CDC.

“The safety of our guests is of utmost importance at Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza, so we are alerting consumers to an ongoing investigation with federal health authorities and certain state and local health departments regarding Salmonella cases linked to consumption of raw cookie dough,” Papa Murphy’s said. “Upon learning of this investigation, Papa Murphy’s took immediate action, including voluntarily issuing a Stop Sell order of its take-and-bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and S’mores Bars (which contains a portion of the same take-and-bake cookie dough). These two products were promptly removed from stores. We did this proactively out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of our guests.

“We are continuing to work with health authorities, as well as relevant ingredient vendors, to support the investigation. If you purchased and still have take-and-bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and/or S’mores Bars, please do not consume the product. Discard immediately. Please contact us at papamurphys.com if you have further questions.”

The CDC noted that while some companies make edible cookie dough that does not need to be baked because it is made with heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs or no eggs, that is not the case with Papa Murphy’s product, which is not suitable for raw consumption and should be baked using the baking instructions prior to eating.

The CDC said the outbreak has affected six states: California, Idaho, Missouri, Oregon, Utah and Washington.