It may finally be safe to eat lettuce again after June’s cyclospora outbreak. But the summer of '26's foodborne illness train rolls on with a new rash of recalls: for salmonella.
The FDA has reported multi-state salmonella bacteria outbreaks tied to various items, including eggs from Midwest Poultry Services sold under five brand names—two distributed by Kroger. While cooking kills salmonella, the question remains: can you pasteurize your eggs without cooking them?
With advice from infectious disease experts, I tested a sous vide immersion circulator. Eggs are pasteurized at 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit for nearly an hour and a half, ensuring they're safe even in raw or near-raw preparations like Hollandaise sauce.
The USDA estimates one out of every 20,000 eggs is contaminated with salmonella. While pasteurizing at home isn't common, it's now more accessible thanks to sous vide tools. Just ensure the egg center reaches and maintains a similar temperature for close to an hour; otherwise, you risk leaving harmful bacteria behind.
