Pillsbury Releases Raw Cookie and Brownie Dough Products that Can Safely Be Eaten Raw

General Mills and their Pillsbury division announced they their refrigerated raw cookie dough and brownie dough are now safe to eat raw (on those packages marked as such). This comes due to the "move to use heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs, creating a unique product that families can enjoy baked or straight from the package."

Cookie and brownie dough traditionally contain flour and eggs, two raw materials that can contain microbial pathogens such as Salmonella and E. coli. These pathogens have led to cases of foodborne illness when that product was eaten raw. But by using pretreated eggs and flour, the product is designed to be safe when eaten raw, that is, before cooking by the consumer.

One of the difficulties has been creating a product where the pretreatment does not affect the functionality of the ingredients so that the product comes out the same as it did with the untreated ingredients.

General Mills
https://www.generalmills.com/en/News/NewsReleases/Library/2020/July/Pillsbury-brings-childhood-dreams-to-life
News Releases
Jul 27, 2020
Pillsbury brings childhood dreams to life: Cookie and brownie dough now ‘safe to eat raw’

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota - This summer in the U.S., Pillsbury is helping families create even more memories with its beloved variety of refrigerated cookie and brownie dough that is now ‘safe to eat raw,’ as marked by a seal on packaging, or baked, as always. To celebrate the news, Pillsbury is partnering with Haylie Duff, actress and mom of two, to encourage parents to have fun surprising their kids in a #SayYesChallenge.

Now through August 16, 2020, the #SayYesChallenge tasks parents with recording their kids’ reactions to finally being told ‘yes’ to eating raw cookie or brownie dough. Parents can share their video clips on social using #SayYesChallenge and tagging @Pillsbury for a chance to be featured on Pillsbury’s Facebook and Instagram.

"These times have been difficult for families who have had to cancel kids’ plans for summer camps and say ‘no’ to usual summer activities. We’re glad to make saying ‘yes’ even sweeter with simple and fun Pillsbury products that are now safe to eat raw or baked,” said Tiffany Seelen, brand experience senior manager at Pillsbury. “Families can now enjoy the mischief of stealing tasty bites of raw cookie or brownie dough as a spur-of-the-moment treat.”

The #SayYesChallenge comes on the heels of Pillsbury’s move to use heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs, creating a unique product that families can enjoy baked or straight from the package. Made using the same recipe families know and love, Pillsbury’s variety of refrigerated cookie and brownie dough is being fully transitioned to ‘safe to eat raw’. Pillsbury’s Ready to Bake!™ Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Place & Bake™ Brownie Dough and more have the Pillsbury “safe to eat raw” seal on packaging and are available at grocery retailers nationwide.

For more information and a full list of on Pillsbury’s ‘safe to eat raw’ refrigerated cookie and brownie dough products, please visit the FAQ page on Pillsbury’s website.

To learn more about Pillsbury’s #SayYesChallenge, see here for additional details and official rules.

About General Mills
General Mills is a leading global food company whose purpose is to make food the world loves. Its brands include Cheerios, Annie's, Yoplait, Nature Valley, Häagen-Dazs, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki, BLUE and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills generated fiscal 2020 net sales of U.S. $17.6 billion. In addition, General Mills’ share of non-consolidated joint venture net sales totaled U.S. $1.0 billion.

Media:
General Mills Corporate Communications
Jamie Bastian
763-764-6364
media.line@genmills.com