# Raw eggs: have you, would you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 6, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624 "2009-11-06T19:09:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/21 "2009-11-07T00:05:24Z")
I would not could not: it’s the law! I would not could not if they’re raw! ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/22 "2009-11-07T00:17:48Z")
Raw eggs _in_ something, like cake batter, cookie dough, etc. (and the Tom and Jerry looks _gooooood_, if a little time-consuming; may have to try it this Christmas), I don’t have a problem with it. In fact, I used to give the cake batter bowls to my kids, saying “Go ahead, lick the bowl; piss off some busy-bodies!” 😛 But raw eggs, just, uh, down the hatch, a la Rocky? Ummmm, no. Ewwww. The ‘threat’ of salmonella doesn’t phase me. Yeah, I know it’s a _real_ threat, but hey, so is getting out of bed in the morning. I figure it’s not _nearly_ as risky to consume raw/undercooked eggs a dozen or so times a year as it is to smoke a half pack a day. And I’ve never been a smoker. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/23 "2009-11-07T06:22:58Z")
I eat them every time I have shabu shabu and I haven’t gotten sick yet. I usually force my buddies to try the raw egg in the sauce and most people seen to like it. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/24 "2009-11-07T06:28:54Z")
For the record, unless you have built a specific pathogen free flock of hens, Henrietta in your backyard probably harbors salmonella in her guts. Not that that’s a big problem. Salmonella isn’t likely to make you terribly sick. Just have to do my part sticking up for commercial poultry after this week’s episode of Bones. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/25 "2009-11-07T06:29:24Z")
I figure the eggs from the Amish farm down the road are safe enough. One day I’ll have my own chickens. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/26 "2009-11-07T06:31:06Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > The ‘threat’ of salmonella doesn’t phase me. Yeah, I know it’s a _real_ threat, but hey, so is getting out of bed in the morning. I figure it’s not _nearly_ as risky to consume raw/undercooked eggs a dozen or so times a year as it is to smoke a half pack a day. And I’ve never been a smoker. 😉 The threat of salmonella in raw eggs has been greatly exaggerated. > [@](#): > > The inside of an egg was once considered almost sterile. But, over recent years, the bacterium Salmonella enteritidis (Se) has been found inside a small number of eggs. Scientists estimate that, on average across the U.S., only 1 of every 20,000 eggs might contain the bacteria. So, the likelihood that an egg might contain Se is extremely small – 0.005% (five one-thousandths of one percent). At this rate, if you’re an average consumer, you might encounter a contaminated egg once every 84 years. From [here.](http://www.aeb.org/LearnMore/EggSafety.htm) 1 in _20,000_. And it should be noted that you might encounter one egg with salmonella once every 84 years, and to then have the odds that that particular egg is ALSO the one you don’t cook? > [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > I figure the eggs from the Amish farm down the road are safe enough. One day I’ll have my own chickens. Actually, I’d think that eggs that don’t have the benefit of being cleaned and inspected by large-scale manufactures who try their damned best not to get sued would be less safe for you. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/27 "2009-11-07T06:35:02Z")
Thank you, **bouv**! ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/28 "2009-11-07T10:46:26Z")
There are also pasteurized eggs, as Alton Brown is fond of pointing out every time he makes a recipe calling for raw/undercooked eggs. > [@Pullet](#): > > Thank you, **bouv**! Of course YOU’D be grateful. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/29 "2009-11-07T14:02:19Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Raw eggs interfere with the ability to absorb biotin, so it is not a good idea to do this very often. I am not aware of any nutritional advantage to raw over cooked, so although I have eaten them raw, I generally cook my eggs before using them. > > Regards, > Shodan Yes, the avidin in egg whites will inactivate biotin. _However_, [From this source:](http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/984803-overview) > [@](#): > > Biotin deficiency rarely, if ever, occurs in healthy individuals who consume a regular diet unless they are being treated either with certain anticonvulsants or with broad-spectrum antibiotics. The extremely low prevalence of biotin deficiency is probably the result of a combination of factors. First, the daily requirement for biotin is low (approximately 150-300 µg/d). Second, almost all foods contain significant quantities of biotin, and many widely consumed foods are relatively rich in biotin. Third, the intestinal flora synthesizes significant quantities of biotin, and at least a portion of that biotin is believed to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Fourth, a significant fraction of the body’s biotin is recycled; that is, a given molecule of biotin may be repeatedly used before it is eventually lost from the body in the feces or urine. ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/30 "2009-11-08T05:45:58Z")
I third the egg milk sugar vanilla nutmeg solution 🙂 …damn it no milk. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/31 "2009-11-08T06:12:04Z")
My father cracks an egg into the blender when making chocolate milk shakes. Good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/32 "2009-11-08T06:17:21Z")
I used to have them in smoothies after morning swim sessions when I swam competitively. If not for eggs in the smoothies I would have been eating eggs and/or steak for breakfast every day. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/33 "2009-11-08T06:45:41Z")
Our dad used to get us each an Orange Julius when we went to the mall and pay extra to get raw eggs added. ---
**Author:** ![Elret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Elret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elret)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/34 "2009-11-08T07:11:55Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > I haven’t, no. What difference does it make to the smoothie? I feel a scientific experiment is in order! I find egg added to smoothies or milkshakes adds a nice richness. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2009, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/35 "2009-11-08T13:54:28Z")
If you’re adding raw eggs to shakes for protein (and IME that’s why people do it) you’re not getting as much digestible protein as cooked eggs. > [@](#): > > The true ileal digestibility of cooked and raw egg protein amounted to 90.9 +/- 0.8 and 51.3 +/- 9.8%, respectively. A significant negative correlation (r = -0.92, P \< 0.001) was found between the 13C-recovery in breath and the recovery of exogenous N in the ileal effluents. In summary, using the 15N-dilution technique we demonstrated that the assimilation of cooked egg protein is efficient, albeit incomplete, and that the true ileal digestibility of egg protein is significantly enhanced by heat-pretreatment. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9772141](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9772141) ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/36 "2009-11-09T13:14:39Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > If you’re adding raw eggs to shakes for protein (and IME that’s why people do it) you’re not getting as much digestible protein as cooked eggs. I have always understood that the reason raw eggs are added to smoothies is to act as an emulsifier. It makes the whole shake more creamy and consistent. ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/37 "2009-11-09T13:37:50Z")
My party trick as a teenager was to pop a whole raw egg into my mouth and crunch down through the shell and then eat the whole thing. Never did me any harm and I’m sure it impressed the girls. (I was such an idiot). ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/38 "2009-11-09T14:48:24Z")
> [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](#): > > My party trick as a teenager was to pop a whole raw egg into my mouth and crunch down through the shell and then eat the whole thing. Never did me any harm and I’m sure it impressed the girls. > > (I was such an idiot). Meh. My hubby became a licensed Private Investigator at age 19 to impress girls. Worked like a charm, he got _paid_ for it, and he sure as hell never had to swallow raw eggs! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/39 "2009-11-09T17:10:53Z")
I was dieting when I was 9 and decided for some reason that a raw egg might help me (I don’t know why - for girls, low fat, low calorie was all the rage). So I cracked one into a glass, just like they did on TV and knocked it back. It was the absolute most disgusting thing I’ve ever put in my mouth, even worse than brains or capybara. ---
**Author:** ![StoutHearted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@StoutHearted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StoutHearted)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624/40 "2009-11-09T17:32:49Z")
I’ll eat cookie dough that has raw eggs in it, despite numerous threats from my mother that I’ll die a torturous death from samonella poisoning. I can’t just rinse out a bowl with gooey bits of sweet, sweet dough still clinging to it - they must be rounded up and consumed immediately! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/raw-eggs-have-you-would-you/516624.md?page=1)