(Metro) The holidays simply wouldn’t be complete without homemade dishes and desserts. Treats also are commonly offered as tokens of appreciation when popping in on friends and relatives.

Good chefs understand that tasting foods while they are being prepared helps to ensure the finished product will be just right. Children often want to help in the kitchen, especially if given the opportunity to sample some sweets.

As much as sampling can help ensure things come out right, it’s important to know when licking that spoon or mixing beaters is a good idea, and when it may lead to gastrointestinal upset.

Raw flour

It’s oh so tempting to break off a chunk of uncooked cookie dough or pie crust and sample your handiwork. If the recipe doesn’t contain eggs, it’s safe to dig in, right? Actually, many people are unaware that sampling uncooked doughs and batters is risky due to the flour. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that flour actually is a raw food. It hasn’t ...