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
In: Other
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.
Latest Answers