The classic sweet was sold at a major retail chain, but the food safety warning has particular concern at this time.
Nearly 3,000 Packages of a Name-Brand Valentine’s Baked Good Recalled in 6 States
Published on Feb. 12, 2025
You’re not supposed to eat cookie dough, and you know that…but anyone who’s done it (who, me?) typically understands that they’re consuming raw dough with some risk.
Whether you shopped at an endeared national chain’s grocery section to bake for a crowd or to celebrate a sweet Valentine’s Day alone, beware of particular warning related to a recognizable brand that crafted a Valentine’s Day variety of take-and-bake goods.
Wednesday morning, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent subscribers an announcement that 2,904 packages of Nestle Toll House—the iconic chocolate chip cookie purveyor—had recalled Valentine’s-themed product at Target because of “improper storage temperature.”
The danger with raw cookie dough tends to be the potential for Salmonella exposure from the eggs, which are a basic ingredient in Toll House’s chocolate chip recipe—both homemade and in their store-bought dough. Of course this reported instance of temperature variation presents another concern, as microbes can develop and proliferate, presenting risk for any number of foodborne illnesses.
The FDA states the standard safe temperature for most refrigerated foods is 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Species of Salmonella, E. coli, and botulinum are three of the common foodborne microbes the FDA says individuals can experience from foods that aren’t kept temperature-safe. Bird flu presents another reason consumers should be extra careful to thoroughly cook or bake any food containing milk or eggs.
Target Corporation is listed as the recalling firm in the FDA’s notice, which adds that the recall was first initiated on January 14. This should mean the affected product has not been available for purchase since then.
Product details for the recalled Nestle Toll House cookie dough are:
- Nestle Toll House Valentine’s Chocolate Chip cookie dough
- Net wt 14 oz. (Makes 20 cookies)
- UPC 0 28000-34408 5
- Distributed by Nestle USA, Arlington, VA 22209
- Best by 3/6/2025
- Target locations in Arkansas, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington are affected.
It’s unclear why cookie dough delivered to Target locations in these states was not kept at a stable, food-safe temperature, but it seems this may have been an issue at a distribution warehouse before the product was officially deployed to ship.
The FDA has categorized this as a Class II recall, meaning they’ve determined it’s “a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”
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