Accidentally ate raw corn starch, is it safe?
So I was heating up some canned soup over the stove, and it felt a bit thin. So I thought to use some corn starch to thicken it up.
After pouring some in, some of it landed on my hand and I licked it off before I realized "Oh crap you probably aren't supposed to eat this raw".
Furthermore I didn't "boil" my soup after putting the starch in, more of a medium simmer-ish for a few minutes after putting it in.
I know raw flour is very bad because of bacteria/etc....but does the same apply to corn starch?
Best Answer
While it is never a good idea to make raw flours part of your diet or base a dish on them, eating raw starch is not so risky that you need to be worried about licking up a half-teaspoon of it. While overall figures are not available for corn starch, less than 3% of wheat flour in the US carries some kind of pathogen, and the percentage of contaminated corn starch can be assumed to be lower because corn starch is more heavily processed. Further, your body is adapted by thousands of years of evolution to dealing with minor amounts of food pathogens.
So, unless you are immunocompromised or someone in your family is, the raw/undercooked corn starch is less of a risk than many other things you eat and drink.
The bigger culinary issue is that, if you did not bring your soup to a boil, you did not fully activate the corn starch as a thickener.
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Quick Answer about "Accidentally ate raw corn starch, is it safe?"
Tip. You should not eat raw cornstarch, as it is linked to anemia and iron deficiency and may cause digestive issues such as gas and bloating. Raw cornstarch may also harbor harmful bacteria which can cause food-borne illnesses; cook it to ensure it is safe to consume.Can corn starch hurt you?
May harm heart health Cornstarch is considered a refined carb, meaning that it has undergone extensive processing and been stripped of its nutrients. Studies show that regularly consuming foods rich in refined carbs, such as cornstarch, may negatively affect heart health.Is raw corn flour safe to eat?
Corn flour is safe raw but doesn't have a particularly pleasant taste and texture. Quinoa flour made from raw, sprouted, and soaked grains is safe to eat but not commonly used. Oat flour is another safe-to-eat-raw flour.The Dangers of Eating Cornstarch
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Answer 2
The general advice is not to eat raw cornstarch due to potential bacterial contamination, and possible negative health effects. Health implications are off topic on our site, so let's just leave it at there being a potential for bacterial infection, as you point out, like flour.
I think a "medium" simmer for a few minutes probably takes care of any concern.
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