Good news for fans of raw cookie dough: Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have filed a patent on technology that can protect pasteurized liquid eggs from food safety threats.

These threats include both naturally-occurring spoilage bacteria and pathogens. But don't go running for that dough just yet; the U.S. Food and Drug Administration still cautions against consuming raw, unpasteurized eggs or products that contain them.

The new technology was developed by Sudarsan Mukhopadhyay, Peggy Tomasula and John Luchansky, researchers at the ARS Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) in Wyndmoor, Pa.