I just opened my little cafe and I have an item on my menu that the fitness trainer in the gym is telling my customers NOT to order....I have an Uber Smoothie on the menu. It is plain low fat yogurt, fruit of choice, honey and a raw egg plus either juice or milk. 

When I was a kid my favorite place to go was Frannie's Frogurt shop. They did all kinds of yummy Frogurts otherwise known as Smoothies now. We always got raw eggs in the drink.

All the trendy scares about food had me ignore this one about eating raw eggs causes salmonella poisioning. Am I wrong? I do not want to put my customers at risk. However we were supposed to avoid butter and use margarine and now they know that is WRONG.

As long as my hands are clean and I wash the outside of the shell it should be ok, right?

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Have you talked to your food distributor about pasturized eggs? Many hospitals spec them so they should be readily available. Just a thought.

I'm pretty sure you must use pasturized eggs.  I beleive using a raw unpasturized egg is aggainst the health code in Ca.

The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.  -HST

Salmonella is on the outside of the egg shell.  It should be OK if you use proper handwashing and wash the outside of the shell.  That being said, you still may have some issues and using the pasturized eggs may be the way to go for this drink.  How vital is the egg to the quality and taste of the drink?  It may be worth considering eliminating it all together.  Perception is important.

For some time now it's been shown that the offending Salmonella bacteria is systemic, (infecting the whole body), in the egg laying population. You can not wash off the Salmonella bacteria that maybe in an unpasteurized egg.

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My 2 cents: 86 the egg. ....... Any customer that develops a stomach ache for any reason will most likely pin it on you, fairly or unfairly. "TheeGourmetDiner" nailed it when he/she said perception is important. ...... Why chance the reputation of your cafe for one item? ..... Also throwing a bone to the fitness trainer might be a good idea if you are serving his/her clients. ..... Bottom line: stay in business. ....... Best wishes to you and your new cafe!

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I agree 86 the Raw egg. In the Hospital cafeterias they will not cook sunny side up or even poached eggs. Its not worth the risk of someone getting sick

Of course the other side to this is that while raw and undercooked eggs are not recommended for anyone they are only restricted in situation where they are being served to "Highly Susceptible Populations", i.e. children, elderly, infirm and the otherwise unhealthy. And for trainer friend you could add to that waning, the "Germophobic".

Why not offer the raw egg as an optional extra? Make the standard smoothie without it but let the daring add an egg for $1.00. Puts all the risk on them.

It is opptional I guess I should have said that. I only have one customer that wants the raw egg in his smoothies. I have told my staff to not do it anymore. I appreciate the responses.

 

The trainer guy also says that wheat grass is bad as is noni juice as is mangosteens as is any chocolate not made in his homeland of Switzerland. I have a Belgian brother in law and we debate the chocolate a lot. :) I prefer my yummy Belgian chocolates and my customers love me for using it.

Living a life I love and loving the life I live.