Salmonella

Ahh… What a great day! My kids baked a birthday cake for their daddy! There’s nothing better than seeing kids amped up about a chocolate cake. I usually don’t allow them to lick the bowl because raw eggs can harbor salmonella. But my chocolate mayo cake recipe is safe because it’s made with mayonnaise not raw eggs.

Salmonella refers to a group of bacteria that can cause a diarrheal illness. The serotypes Typhimurium and Enteritidis are the most common in the United States and has been known to cause illness for over 100 years. When people become sick with the bacteria it is known as Salmonellosis. Most people recover without antibiotics but some people can go on to have other complications. According to the CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

“Most types of Salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of animals and birds and are transmitted to humans by contaminated foods of animal origin.”

In the 1970’s strict procedures for cleaning and inspecting eggs were implemented and made salmonellosis caused by external fecal contamination of egg shells extremely rare. However, there is a current epidemic of Salmonella infection that is due to intact and disinfected grade A eggs. The organism Salmonella enteritidis silently infects the ovaries of healthy appearing hens and contaminates the eggs before the shells are formed. Try to avoid eating raw eggs. This is especially important for high risk populations such as the elderly, infants and the immunocompromised. More information regarding Salmonella may be found from the CDC website.

All three of my kids really enjoyed making the cake. You can see how excited the baby is to lick the bowl! Tomorrow I’ll give you the recipe!

Sheila Cason, MD

Chocolate Mayo Cake Recipe