How Dangerous Is It To Drink Eggnog? Meals Security Consultants Share Their Issues

It’s the vacations, so get away the eggnog. It’s festive, luscious, creamy, candy, generally spiked … and probably teeming with pathogens.

“Raw eggs are the biggest risk because you have a danger of getting salmonella,” stated Invoice Marler, a meals security litigator (you would possibly acknowledge him from the documentary, “Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food”).

Salmonella is an equal alternative micro organism. A current outbreak was traced to pet turtles, however most salmonella infections stem from meals. The micro organism causes about 1.35 million infections yearly. Finest-case situation, you’ll really feel rotten for a day or two, however salmonella accounts for 26,000 hospitalizations and over 400 fatalities a 12 months, in line with the CDC.

For Dr. Don Schaffner, a Rutgers distinguished professor and extension specialist in Meals Science, the fear will not be a lot concerning the eggs and extra about eggnog’s milk and cream. “The risks from raw dairy are more well established,” he stated. These dangers embrace salmonella but in addition listeria, e.coli and campylobacter.

All of this might make you surprise how eggnog received to be a factor, anyway. In response to many meals historians, eggnog’s origins date again to seventeenth century England. Solely the rich had entry to eggs, milk and booze, in order that they’d combine all of it collectively and flaunt it on the holidays.

In the event you’re decided to courageous the micro organism and suck down that Christmas cup of energy (an 8-ounce serving averages round 250 to 300 energy), Dr. Mildred Cody, a registered dietician nutritionist (RDN) and meals security teacher emerita at Georgia State College, explains methods you are able to do it safely. “Don’t count on alcohol in eggnog to kill all of the bacteria,” Cody stated. “That’s not likely to happen.” The reply, she says, is pasteurization.

Bear in mind Louis Pasteur from grade faculty science class? He’s the man behind pasteurization, a means of zapping perishables like eggs and dairy at excessive warmth simply lengthy sufficient to kill any wayward pathogens with out affecting the standard of the meals. However right here’s the factor: “Most eggs in [an American] grocery store are not pasteurized,” stated Elisa Maloberti, the American Egg Board’s supervisor of meals security. “Pasteurized eggs will be clearly marked on the package.”

“The most recent estimates indicate that about three out of every 10,000 eggs is positive for salmonella,” Schaffner stated. “This means the risk from any individual egg is low, but of course the more eggs you combine, the higher the risk.”

It’s nonetheless a threat. England skilled an egg-related salmonella outbreak again in March. A method or one other, 48 million folks annually hit the foodborne sickness jackpot. You could not wish to play these odds.

Whereas each Cody and Maloberti say it’s potential to pasteurize uncooked eggs at residence utilizing a delicate digital thermometer, take your eye off the method and also you’ll possible wind up with scrambled eggs.

“Packaged prepared eggnog is much safer,” Schaffner stated. “The pasteurization process is done by a food manufacturing facility that understands how to best process foods to ensure that they are safe.”

So that you open your carton of nog with its pasteurized eggs and pasteurized milk and cream, whip it into a wonderful froth, add booze, and growth, good to go, proper?

Properly, no. “All pasteurized foods, including egg products, can support bacteria growth if subjected to cross contamination,” Maloberti stated. “For example, if sharing utensils from other raw or cooked foods.”

Marler agrees. “A punchbowl of eggnog has the same risk profile that a salad bar might have. You’re sharing the utensils and bowl with a lot of people. You may not know the risks you run.” He isn’t making an attempt to be a downer. He’s simply involved about your well being, and the well being of your vacation get together host. And all of the company. “You hope people are not infectious and are using good hygiene.”

Marler’s speaking norovirus, aka the cruise flu, the tremendous contagious superbug which really hits extra folks than salmonella and hepatitis. It’s the viral foodborne sickness grand champion, in line with the CDC and World Health Group.

Shut behind norovirus when it comes to contagion threat is hepatitis, which is carried by um, fecal matter. “It can get on utensils, on you,” Marler stated. Meals spoilage can normally be detected by an off scent — one thing funky, bitter or rotten. Viruses and micro organism, not a lot. You received’t even notice you’ve been contaminated till you’re feeling like roadkill a couple of days later.

Life and eggnog supply no ensures, however the specialists suggest these tricks to decrease threat of nasty nog:

• Maintain meals — and drinks! — at 40 levels Fahrenheit or cooler to forestall pesky pathogens.

• Don’t depart perishables out at room temperature for longer than two hours.

• Maintain sizzling meals sizzling, and maintain them separate from cool objects.

• Wash your kitchen instruments.

• Wash your arms.

Come get together time, somewhat than serving eggnog in a fairly punchbowl brimming with pathogens, ladle it up a cup at a time, conserving the remaining refrigerated. It’d take a couple of additional minutes away out of your vacation get together, however it can stop you and your company from a visit to pressing care.