Well, it was fun while it lasted. The US Food and Drug Administration just issued new consumer guidelines recommending complete abstinence from eating raw cookie dough. Turns out it's not safe to eat raw dough even if there are no eggs in it. Because there's something else you shouldn't be eating uncooked: flour.

It's no fun, but it's probably good advice

"Flour is derived from a grain that comes directly from the field and typically is not treated to kill bacteria," Leslie Smoot, a senior advisor in the FDA's Office of Food Safety, said in a statement.

The announcement comes during an investigation by the FDA and the CDC after "dozens of people" across the US contracted a specific strain of E. coli, likely from eating raw flour. Earlier this month, the CDC said that E. coli-related illnesses had been reported in 20 states. At the end of May, General Mills issued a voluntary recall of its flour brands, including Gold Medal.

The warning extends to any food with flour in it, including bread, tortillas, and cake mix. The FDA also notes that children shouldn't handle or play with raw dough.