The Risk with Raw Eggs
Eggs are a healthy and nutritious food, and should be a part of any regular diet. But the use of raw eggs in foods is always a risky proposition. Numerous investigations around the world where outbreaks in the use of raw eggs in foods have link them as a possible source of infection. In the majority of these outbreaks Salmonella isolated from clinical specimens matched Salmonella from food samples made with the raw eggs.
Some eggs carry low levels of pathogenic bacteria on their surface, such as Salmonella, which can multiply to harmful levels if left in an environment conducive to growth. Examples of such environments include raw egg based sauces (hollandaise, mayonnaise) and desserts (mousse, tiramisu). Only a few live cells of the salmonella bacterium can cause an infection.
In all these products raw eggs can be substituted for commercially produced sauces or pasteurized egg products that are free from harmful bacteria. This minimizes the risk of infection and the risk of getting a bad reputation if your businesses are involved!
