The food maker Nestle voluntarily recalled its refrigerated Toll House cookie dough products and warned consumers not to eat raw Toll House cookie dough as fears about possible E. coli contamination spread to more than two dozen states.
Health officials are not positive Toll House cookie dough is to blame, but Nestle is taking precautionary steps because more than 60 people have fallen ill so far in 28 states.
"While the E. coli strain implicated in this investigation has not been detected in our product, the health and safety of our consumers is paramount so we are initiating this voluntary recall," Nestle said in a statement Friday morning.
"Consumers who have purchased these products should not consume them," said the Nestle statement. "Instead, we are asking that consumers return these products to their local grocer for a full refund."
Nestle does advise on its package that people should not eat raw cookie dough.
The company also stressed that its other products are OK to eat -- including its pre-baked cookies, chocolate chips, cocoa and ice cream made by Dreyer's and Edy's that contain cookie dough.
