NATIONWIDE – If you like to eat raw cookie dough or cake batter, you may want to stop.

According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the raw flour may have bacteria known as E.coli shiga toxin-producing bacteria (STEC).

The nasty bacteria can lead to bloody diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and risk of developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a specific type of kidney failure, most common in children under the age of 5, older adults and those with impaired or weakened immune systems.

Now the FDA is recommending the following tips to keep you and your family safe:

• Do not eat any raw cookie dough, cake mix, batter, or any other raw dough or batter product that is supposed to be cooked or baked.
• Follow package directions for cooking products containing flour at proper temperatures and for specified times.
• Wash hands, work surfaces, and utensils thoroughly after contact with flour and raw dough products.
• Keep raw foods separate from other foods while preparing them to prevent any contamination that may be present from spreading. Be aware that flour may spread easily due to its powdery nature.
• Follow label directions to chill products containing raw dough promptly after purchase until baked.