Chris Woodward (OneNewsNow.com)
The USDA's recent advisory for Americans to stay away from raw cookie dough continues to have people talking. And not about cookies.
"If you want an example of how big our government has gotten, look no further than a major federal agency issuing warnings about cookie dough," says Julie Gunlock of the Independent Women's Forum.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture sent out an email this month that recommends people not eat foods with raw or partially cooked eggs. Cookie dough is among those food items.
The advisory is timely – given the fact that a lot of people are making cookies this time of year, and some people, including children, like to eat raw cookie dough.
The Washington Times also notied the emailed warning, stating in a story that it's rare to get salmonella from eggs, though a Las Vegas woman died in 2013 from E. coil in raw cookie dough.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Salmonella causes 1.2 million illnesses every year in the U.S., with 19,000 hospitalizations and 380 deaths.
Gunlock's response to the USDA warning is that "these kinds of warnings and hysteria just aren't necessary."
Considering the U.S. population of 316.1 million people in 2013, eating raw cookie dough is not a major risk, she adds.