Undercooked cookies... problem or not?

[depot]

I'm developing a recipe for a thicker type of cookie and trying to sell these locally. The most famous thick cookie is probably Levain Bakery: https://www.instagram.com/levainbakery/
If you look at their cookies, they are clearly undercooked in the center: http://instagr.am/p/CALaimsHTZK/ We know it's technically not safe to eat raw cookie dough because flour and eggs can contain harmful bacteria if not heat treated to kill the bacteria. That being said, many people still eat it from what I understand.

I'm really hoping some professional bakers can shed some light on this issue for me. How big of a deal is it to serve customers undercooked cookies? There's no way a bakery like Levain can serve this for years without any complaints right? Which leads me to believe that they either 1) properly heat treat all ingredients prior to mixing OR 2) bake it until internally hot enough to kill said bacteria. Or is it possible that they just run the risk (albeit low) that their customers can get sick from eating their cookies?

I'm going for a thick cookie so I'm looking for the best practice among professionals in dealing with this issue. My instincts say that option 2 above would be the most realistic approach to this. But I wonder if potential of getting sick from undercooked cookies is extremely low that it wouldn't warrant much concern as a baker.

Thanks for the help!

 

[retired baker]

I'm developing a recipe for a thicker type of cookie and trying to sell these locally. The most famous thick cookie is probably Levain Bakery: https://www.instagram.com/levainbakery/
If you look at their cookies, they are clearly undercooked in the center: http://instagr.am/p/CALaimsHTZK/ We know it's technically not safe to eat raw cookie dough because flour and eggs can contain harmful bacteria if not heat treated to kill the bacteria. That being said, many people still eat it from what I understand.

I'm really hoping some professional bakers can shed some light on this issue for me. How big of a deal is it to serve customers undercooked cookies? There's no way a bakery like Levain can serve this for years without any complaints right? Which leads me to believe that they either 1) properly heat treat all ingredients prior to mixing OR 2) bake it until internally hot enough to kill said bacteria. Or is it possible that they just run the risk (albeit low) that their customers can get sick from eating their cookies?

I'm going for a thick cookie so I'm looking for the best practice among professionals in dealing with this issue. My instincts say that option 2 above would be the most realistic approach to this. But I wonder if potential of getting sick from undercooked cookies is extremely low that it wouldn't warrant much concern as a baker.

Thanks for the help!

they get hot enough to bloom the starch and coagulate egg.
theres a big difference between raw cold batter and half baked.

If they're doing any appreciable volume they're using liquid pasteurized eggs.
Liquid eggs in cartons or 5 gal buckets are a big time saver, besides removing infection risk.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I'm developing a recipe for a thicker type of cookie and trying to sell these locally. The most famous thick cookie is probably Levain Bakery: https://www.instagram.com/levainbakery/
If you look at their cookies, they are clearly undercooked in the center: http://instagr.am/p/CALaimsHTZK/ We know it's technically not safe to eat raw cookie dough because flour and eggs can contain harmful bacteria if not heat treated to kill the bacteria. That being said, many people still eat it from what I understand.

I'm really hoping some professional bakers can shed some light on this issue for me. How big of a deal is it to serve customers undercooked cookies? There's no way a bakery like Levain can serve this for years without any complaints right? Which leads me to believe that they either 1) properly heat treat all ingredients prior to mixing OR 2) bake it until internally hot enough to kill said bacteria. Or is it possible that they just run the risk (albeit low) that their customers can get sick from eating their cookies?

I'm going for a thick cookie so I'm looking for the best practice among professionals in dealing with this issue. My instincts say that option 2 above would be the most realistic approach to this. But I wonder if potential of getting sick from undercooked cookies is extremely low that it wouldn't warrant much concern as a baker.

Thanks for the help!

it’s legal to sell a product that does not meet food standards—period.

If it is not regulated under federal law, it is regulated under state law.

it’s not a matter of what you think you can get away with. It’s a matter of what the law says you’re required to do to ensure the health of those who consume the food you prepare.

• Adulterated food means any food that 1) contains any substance, food additive, or pesticide chemical residue which may render it injurious to health or unsafe; 2) consists of any filthy, putrid, or decomposed substance; 3) is unfit for food; 4) has been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby it may have become contaminated; 5) is the product of a diseased animal or an animal that died other than by slaughter; 6) its container is composed of any substance which may render the contents injurious to health; or 7) has been intentionally irradiated. 21 U.S.C. 342.
• Misbranded food means any food that 1) its labeling or advertising is false or misleading; 2) is offered for sale under the name of another food; 3) is an imitation of another food but the label does not bear the word “imitation”; 4) its container is made or filled to be misleading; or 5) its label does not provide i) the name and place of the manufacturer, and ii) an accurate statement of the quantity of the contents in terms of weight, measure, or numerical count. 21 U.S.C. 343.