I don’t get why we’re taught cookie dough is so dangerous because of salmonella when some athletes can chug raw eggs everyday and be fine
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You point out salmonella infection risk and people chugging raw eggs being fine.
Those raw eggs are probably fresh so the risk they take is pretty small.
But the point I’d like to make is that taking a risk and all going well doesn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous.
If you cross a highway on foot and make it to the other side without accident, does that mean it wasn’t dangerous? No.
Flipped around: if you buy a lottery ticket and don’t win, does that mean you never had a chance?
The problem with eating raw cookie dough is not the salmonella in raw eggs, it’s the uncooked flour. Your gut does not have the resources to digest it properly and it can cause some problems.
Short answer, no, they’re not as dangerous as your mom telling you to not eat the cookie dough might want you to believe.
Eggs are laid with a protective membrane that keeps bacteria out. This is because the actual shell is porous and micro organisms can get in. Note that outside the layer the eggs can be covered in bacteria, the membrane just pervents it from getting in.
In the US, eggs are washed before going to the market. This washes off the protective membrane. This means you must refrigerate eggs in the US to prevent bacteria from entering the egg.
In many other places in the world they don’t wash eggs before getting to the supermarket, which is why they don’t refrigerate eggs. The risk here is that when you break the egg, any bit that touches the outside can be contaminated. You can get around this by washing your eggs before cracking them.
Note that in a few exceptions the membrane fails and doesn’t protect the inside from bacteria.
But if you’re properly caring for your eggs and generally have a clean place to store them, risks are minimal. But is salmonella really worth the risk to chug a raw egg? I don’t think so. Cookie dough? Maybe.
Pasteurized eggs can sometimes be missing a layer of membrane meant to protect the inside of the egg from bacteria. This is why they must be refrigerated as keeping foods cold slows the growth rate of most bacteria long enough for you to eat it and not get sick.
If you have an opportunity get to a farmers market and purchase some unpasteurized eggs. They stay fresh longer, they don’t require refrigeration, and they taste sooo much better.
Here in the UK if they’ve got the Red Lion mark then no as the chicken has been vaccinated against salmonella and pasteurised however it’s probably best to cook them to be sure.
Though why would you want to eat raw egg?
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