Is It Safe To Eat 2-Year-Old Frozen Cookie Dough? - Tasting Table

Brian Zikmund-Fisher, PhD Professor of Health Education Research, offers a very different (and refreshingly human) perspective. In an interview with CNN, he reports that consuming neither eggs nor flour poses any substantial health risks — if done correctly. He even offers a way around using raw eggs altogether: "[W]hen my kids and I make cookie dough, we never use regular eggs. Instead, we use eggs that have been pasteurized to kill any harmful bacteria without actually cooking the egg itself." The USDA approves his method: they condone in-shell pasteurized eggs for safe consumption without cooking.

Flour, however, is a larger obstacle. Dietitian Beth Czerwony of the Cleveland Clinic airs on the side of extreme caution. She warns young children should avoid uncooked flour so carefully that they even making salt dough ornaments during the holidays is dangerous. Zikmund-Fisher thinks otherwise. He testifies that, although occasional E. coli outbreaks are worthy of both caution and attention, he does not consider the risk margin large enough to reasonably deter people from enjoying raw cookie dough. Sure, it's a risk, but not risky enough to cast aside a chocolate chip spoonful forever.

So, the most definitive answer according to science is to follow your heart. But, according to United Regulations, uncooked cookie dough can last 9 to 12 months in the freezer. Any longer than that, and you should probably throw it out — which means it's time to whip up a fresh batch.

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