California woman buys tub of Nestlé Toll House chocolate chip cookie dough. Then she takes a bite—and tastes something dangerous

When you buy a packaged food, especially one you have had in your fridge hundreds of times, you probably do not think to inspect every bite that closely.

Most of the time, that is fine. But every once in a while, something happens that reminds consumers to pay attention.

In a recent TikTok video, creator Natalie (@natalie.valenzuel) shared one such instance while scooping Nestlé Toll House chocolate chip cookie dough out of its container.

What Did She Allegedly Find Inside the Toll House Cookie Dough?

“I just found a thumb tack in my cookie dough,” Natalie says in the video.

At first, she says, she thought she had simply bitten into something edible.

“I bit it thinking it was a chocolate chip,” she says. “And no, it was a thumb tack.”

In the clip, Natalie shows what appears to be a thumbtack sitting on top of the Nestlé Toll House product.

Where Should You Report Something Like This?

If you find something strange in packaged food, you should stop consuming it immediately.

Then, if you plan to report it, you can take photos and save the packaging, receipt, lot code, best-by date, and the object itself if it is safe to handle. The brand will usually ask for the lot number and photos so it can trace the product.

After that, the right agency depends on what kind of food it is.

For most packaged foods, including products like cookie dough, the FDA is usually the place to report a problem. For meat, poultry, and processed egg products, complaints go through the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. And if the issue comes from restaurant food or if you think you got sick, the local health department may also need to know.

Not the First Time People Found Strange Items in Toll House Cookie Dough

Natalie’s video is just one person’s account, and there has not been a recall tied to her specific claim.

But this would not be the first time Toll House dough had something in it that was not supposed to be there.

In 2023, Nestlé recalled a limited amount of Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough “break and bake” bars because they may have contained wood fragments. According to the FDA notice, it only affected two batches made on April 24 and 25, 2023. Nestlé said it issued the recall after a small number of consumers contacted the company.

And that was not the only cookie dough recall.

In October 2022, Nestlé recalled Toll House Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough with Fudge Filling because it may have contained white plastic pieces. Those products were made between June and September 2022 and sold in the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Then, the next month, Nestlé had another one. This time, the company recalled Toll House Edible Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough tubs because of possible soft plastic film. That recall involved three batches made from Aug. 1 to Aug. 3, 2022. Nestlé said it was separate from the stuffed-cookie-dough recall.

@natalie.valenzuel #tollhousecookies #tollhouse what in the world! Just sitting here making some cookies eating a little bubdle of what i thought were chocolate chips! No a tumb tack! This is very dangerous ! @Toll house cookies ? ♬ original sound – natalie.valenzuel

The Mary Sue has reached out to Natalie via TikTok messages and Nestlé via email for comment.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]