People always freak out about eating raw cookie dough for fear of salmonella due to the raw eggs.
Yet raw egg whites have been a common ingredient in fancy cocktails for ages and its never been questioned or regarded as dangerous.
What gives?
In: Biology
I always thought this too, but it turns out it’s the raw flour in the uncooked cookie dough that’s actually the problem. The egg fear is misplaced, but eating raw flour is really bad for you.
Hello! I’m a food scientist, and to address your concern about the cookie dough specifically, cookie dough is labeled with warnings not necessarily because of the eggs (although there will always be concerns with raw poultry products and salmonella), but because of the flour.
Think of it this way. Flour is a processed grain that is essentially taken from the field and ground into flour by mechanical means. While there are other steps sometimes involved (whole wheat flour vs. regular flour, cake flour vs. regular flour all involve different processing steps), the flour is not taken through enough steps during processing that can guarantee pathogens of concern are killed. So, bacteria like salmonella, E. coli, etc. can be introduced in the field or during processing, meaning it can end up ground right in the final flour.
However, this does not mean you should be scared of flour now. Flour is not a product typically eaten raw (ie. You don’t eat flour with a spoon), and almost everything you make with it will go through a significant heat kill step (baking, cooking, etc.), AKA you are getting rid of the bacteria.
This leads to why manufacturers put the warning on cookie dough. People enjoy raw cookie dough, so they are at risk of eating raw flour.
Yes, salmonella may exist in the cookie dough. Will it hurt you? No, not likely unless you are a person with a weakened immune system susceptible to foodborne illness (meaning it essentially takes less bacteria to make you sick because your body is not as well equipped to protect itself), or the cookie dough was temperature abused (meaning the cookie dough was not properly refrigerated, leading the cookie dough reaching an internal temperature that allows the bacteria to multiply more quickly, and more bacteria=more of a chance at getting sick).
EDIT: Here’s a succinct source from the FDA for those interested in this cookie dough info:
[FDA Cookie Dough Guidance ](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/raw-doughs-raw-deal-and-could-make-you-sick)
Generally speaking, the egg whites are mixed with liquor, some type of citrus(usually lemon or lime juice), and sugar. All three of these ingredients have the potential to kill bacteria. So emulsifying these ingredients in a cocktail shaker will kill the potential salmonella that could kill you.
Similarly, citric acid is used for dishes like ceviche, where raw seafood like shrimp is brined in lemon or lime juice.
Also, the risk for a healthy adult getting salmonella from raw egg is pretty low. IMO there is more risk in the garnish tray than anything else behind the bar.
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