The Reason Nestle Is Recalling Toll House Cookie Dough Packs

In the history of food recalls, a few major players come to mind. There was the time that Sara Lee had to swipe millions of pounds of meat from grocery store shelves in 1998 on account of traces of listeria, a dangerous bacteria that caused dozens of illness cases and 15 deaths. According to The New York Times, the company ponied up over $4 million to victims' families after pleading guilty to a class-action lawsuit in 2001. A decade later, listeria found its way into a huge crop of cantaloupes distributed by Jensen Farms, which reportedly caused over 147 illnesses and at least 33 deaths, per Food Safety News. At the time, CNN billed it as the third-deadliest food outbreak in U.S. history.

This year has seen its fair share of recalls in the U.S. as well, from Kraft Heinz's Capri Sun to Daily Harvest's French Lentil and Leek Crumbles. That not-so-esteemed FDA list gained another member this week after Nestlé Toll House reported the potential presence of a non-edible ingredient in its Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough with Fudge Filling. Luckily, it's not quite as deadly as some of its companions, but it still means you'll probably want to toss your cookies (or follow your own cookie recipe for a while).

On October 19, 2022, Nestlé issued a voluntary recall of its Toll House Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough with Fudge Filling due to the "potential presence of white plastic pieces," CNN reports. According to a statement released by the company in cooperation with the FDA, the announcement applies to cases of the ready-to-bake dough produced between June and September of 2022, with potential customers and retailers affected spanning the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico. "While no illnesses or injuries have been reported, we immediately took action out of an abundance of caution after a small number of consumers contacted Nestlé USA about this issue," reads the statement.

If you ever purchase a product that was recalled, it's best to err on the side of caution. The FDA advises affected customers to keep the product unopened in its package and return it to the retailer where it was purchased for a replacement or a refund. If your craving won't go away, you can always pick up a good old tube of cookie dough on your way out of the returns center of your local grocery store.