If you’re a fan of classic Caesar salad or old-fashioned eggnog, you probably know that these foods contain raw eggs. For that matter, so do Béarnaise sauce, hollandaise sauce, conventionally made mayonnaise, some homemade ice cream, and, of course, eggs served sunny-side up or soft-boiled.
Problem is, about one out of every 20,000 chicken eggs produced in the United States has a high risk of being contaminated with Salmonella bacteria. Not all kinds of Salmonella are harmful to us, but some are, notably S. enteritidis, which has been associated with eating raw or undercooked eggs. This and other pathogenic Salmonella strains can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever, and—in some instances—death.
Those most vulnerable to salmonellosis, as the disease caused by this microbe is known, are infants, preschoolers, pregnant women, the elderly, and anyone who has a compromised immune system.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: USDA Agricultural Research magazine
