Homemade eggnog is a tradition in many families during the holiday season. But each year this creamy drink causes many cases of Salmonella. The ingredient responsible? Usually raw or undercooked eggs.
Eggs are a standard ingredient in most homemade eggnog recipes, giving the beverage its characteristic frothy texture. To prevent this ingredient from causing harmful infections, follow this recipe and guidelines from Nancy Bufano, Food Technologist, FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, for safe handling.
Don’t count on alcohol to kill bacteria. Some people think that adding rum, whiskey, or other alcohol to the recipe will make the eggnog safe. But if contaminated or unpasteurized eggs are used in eggnog, you can’t count on the alcohol in the drink to kill all of the bacteria – that’s not likely to happen.
Enjoy a safe and healthy holiday season!