Nestle USA on Friday voluntarily recalled dozens of Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products after a number of illnesses were reported by those who ate the dough raw.
The recall covers all varieties of prepackaged, refrigerated cookie dough but does not include Toll House chocolate chips or baking bars, or Dreyer's and Edy's ice cream products with Nestle Toll House cookie dough ingredients.
The company said the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control are investigating reported E. coli illnesses that might be related to the ingestion of the raw cookie dough.
The FDA said there have been 66 reports of illness across 28 states since March. About 25 people have been hospitalized, but no one has died.
The FDA advised consumers to throw away any prepackaged, refrigerated Nestle Toll House cookie dough products. Retailers, restauranteurs and employees at other food-service operations should also not sell or serve any of the products.
Nestle spokeswoman Roz O'Hearn said "this has been a very quickly moving situation." She says the company took action less than 24 hours after hearing of the problem.
O'Hearn said the company will cooperate fully with the FDA's investigation.
The recall includes refrigerated cookie bar dough, cookie dough tub, cookie dough tubes, limited edition cookie dough items, seasonal cookie dough and Ultimates cookie bar dough. It does not affect any other Toll House products.
E. coli is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and, in the most severe cases, kidney failure.
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