With the Food and Drug Administration issuing a warning of a probable E. coli contamination in Nestle Toll House cookies, Nestle has voluntarily recalled its Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products.

The federal health authorities said that the warning about the safety concern has come in the wake of the infections caused by E. coli O157:H7 – which is a toxin-producing strain that generally causes dehydration, and bloody diarrhea; and can even lead to kidney failure and death.

Saying that E. coli O157:H7 infections are “serious”, infectious disease specialist, Dr. Sharon Nachman, of Stony Brook University Medical Center, elaborated that the bacteria secrete a “shiga toxin” that can lead to a multi-system involvement, with kidneys being the most vulnerable.

According to ABC News, though it has not been corroborated that Toll house cookie dough products are responsible for the E. coli outbreak – which has sickened 28 people in 28 states -, it is reported that “many” of the affected people had consumed raw Toll House cookie dough.

Announcing the recall of its Toll House cookie dough, Nestle said: “The E. coli strain has not been detected in our product.” Nonetheless, it also added that people “who have purchased these products should not consume them. Instead, we are asking that consumers return these products to their local grocer for a full refund.”