For many people, it would not be the holidays without having eggnog on the menu. While commercially made eggnog is perfectly safe, you must take some special precautions if you plan to make eggnog from scratch.

To avoid the possibility of foodborne illness, individuals making eggnog at home should purchase pasteurized eggs to prevent the addition of Salmonella bacteria to their drink. Using raw eggs for eggnog (or any other dish) is not recommended because Salmonella can be a very serious foodborne illness for many people.

Sure, most of us have eaten raw cookie dough containing raw eggs from time to time and have had no ill effects. However, it will take only one bite of dough or other product containing this foodborne illness, and you will be convinced that raw eggs are not a good idea.

Pasteurized eggs are available either as a liquid egg mixture or in the shell. The in-shell pasteurized eggs have been showing up in many of our supermarkets lately, and this type of egg product has been treated to destroy Salmonella.

An alternative is to prepare an eggnog recipe that does include egg as an ingredient. The following is such a recipe:

Quick and Easy Eggnog
4 cups milk
1, 4-serving size package, vanilla instant pudding (regular or sugar-free)
1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring
1/2 teaspoon rum flavoring
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients. Chill and serve. Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional analysis per serving with regular instant pudding: 130 calories, 0 g fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 24 g carb, 6 g protein, 320 mg sodium.

With sugar-free pudding: 80 calories, 0 fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 12 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein, 160 mg sodium.


Source: Shirley Camp, MS, RD, University of Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness educator, Macomb Center, (309)836-2647