What is Pasteurized Eggs?

ANOTHER FOOD in which bacteria present a problem is eggs. The bacterium Salmonella enteritidis, a major food-poisoning culprit, is found in approximately one in every 20,000 eggs. We are advised not to eat raw eggs, which turns such treats as homemade eggnog, hollandaise sauce, mayonnaise, and uncooked cookie dough into no-nos. Now, however, pasteurized shell eggs, which defy the current conventional wisdom of the dangers of eating raw eggs, are available. They are sold in parts of the U.S. by Pasteurized Eggs Corp. under the brand name Davidson's Eggs. The eggs are pasteurized by heating them in warm water. The temperature of the yolk must be controlled between 128 and 138.5 °F. At lower temperatures, the egg is not pasteurized, and at higher temperatures, the albumen (egg white) loses its functionality. Each egg is weighed and directed to a series of warm water baths. The combination of time and water temperature heats the eggs enough to kill Salmonella without cooking the egg. The ...  more