Caesar Salad/ May have contained raw egg/ Very Scared

jlk2424 · July 2012

Hi Ladies! Please help. I was out at Uno Pizzeria last night and forgot about not eating Caesar salads bc of the raw eggs. I wouldn't think a restaurant chain would use raw eggs but I am still worried. I called the restaurant and they said it contained egg yolk but I think it might have been egg yolk product. They also manufacture their own dressing/ I am not having any symptoms but am still a little concerned. Thoughts???

Eaky77 · July 2012

I wouldn't be worried, I eat them all the time... and if I remember correctly, most eggs in the US are pasteurized, so no need to worry!

pamiva1 · July 2012

If you are at all concerned call back and talk to the head cook or the mgr. even if it was egg yolk, it could have still been pasteurized. I would want to double check, but I would think they would not be serving raw egg products. Salmonella can make anyone sick!

ASmallWonder · July 2012

I wouldn't worry. For starters, it's rare for a chain restaurant to make anything fresh. They may make their own but it's probably filled with preservatives and that means no raw eggs because it wouldn't be shelf stable. Also, it's not like all raw eggs are dangerous so even if it it DID contain raw egg, your chances of getting sick from it are still really low.

sbevmc09 · July 2012

They manufacture their own dressing says to me that it comes to them bottled. If that's the case then you don't have to worry about the raw egg.

Aside from that, I wouldn't be too worried about it anyway. Raw eggs themselves are not the problem, it's the high risk of contamination based on where they have come from. I would assume that a restaurant that would serve raw eggs (which I don't think you need to worry about with Uno, I really think their dressing is probably bottled) would make sure they had been properly handled because they wouldn't want people getting sick.

I wouldn't worry about it.

mest1215 · July 2012

i wouldnt worry.my doc said thats totally fine as long as you only have it once or twice a week, but like PP said, its prob pasturized so i wouldnt worry anyway

rrcraz7 · July 2012

I believe all eggs sold in the US are pasterurized & they would have had to inform you if they weren't. Not all eggs contain salmonella I believe the rate is 1 in 20,000. I make caesar dressing with raw eggs quite often. it's highly unlikely that you have anything to be concerned about.

featherust · July 2012

I ate caesar salads a lot with DD. I wouldn't worry.

Eaky77 · July 2012

I just want to add..... now I want a Caesar salad.

drpayne · July 2012

You have a greater chance of accidentally drowning. Seriously. Calm down.

ta78 · July 2012

If you are not getting sick, I would not worry. The chances of getting salmonella is very very slim, especially from a popular restaurant.

christinasullie37 · July 2012

I wouldn't worry as US restaurants can not serve raw products such as egg, especially ones that haven't been pasturized. I just ate tiramisu last night which contains rum, and freaked out. Little did I know it only contains about 3 tbs of rum per batch.

Taylor11 · July 2012

drpayne:
You have a greater chance of accidentally drowning. Seriously. Calm down.

This! The stress you are internally creating is probably more detrimental at this point. You would probably faint if you knew the things I have eaten pregnant that are ridiculous 'no no's'.

NicOB · July 2012

Since it's a chain I wouldn't worry. That being said, here in Portland, OR, quite a few of the restaurants I frequent use raw unpasteurized eggs in dishes. Most are labeled as such though. Also many serve raw unpasteurized cheese. There are plenty of places in the U.S. that can and do serve both, so just ask!

corrina costello · July 2012

I eat ceaser salads all the time also and now I want one more than ever lol...I am sure u will be fine!!

Temp994124375009771 · July 2012

I usually don't get involved in these posts but a lot of the posters who responded are misinformed.

Most eggs in the U.S. are not pasteurized (maybe they are thinking of cheese?) You can buy a carton of pasteurized eggs at most major grocery stores but a regular carton of eggs won't be.

Many restaurants will use pasteurized eggs or egg product (egg beaters) in their foods that contain raw egg (Caesar salad etc.) but there are many (even chains) that do not used pasteurized eggs in foods containing raw egg because the risk is so low (and I'm guess the pasteurized eggs cost a lot more, but not sure). You have to specifically ask and even then many waiters don't know or just walk in back and come back saying "I don't think so..."

With all that said... it is really, really rare for an egg to contain salmonella but you just never really know.

Trust me when I say if you do get salmonella food poisoning from your salad you will 100% know. It is God awful and I don't wish it on my worst enemy. I was praying for my own death when I had it (I was thankfully not pregnant when I got sick).

Try not to worry. There is nothing you can do now. If you aren't bent over the toilet in the next day or so then you are in the clear.

ETA: some cities/states may have local rules about declaring raw unpasteurized on menus but that is not the case most places.

rmaxim · July 2012

If you're not sick now, you are fine!

The warnings about eating raw eggs (and other raw or unpasteurized things) are because those items are "more likely" to be contaminated, not because they are 100% dangerous. If what you ate was not contaminated then you have nothing to worry about!

Todd&Laura · July 2012

I highly doubt they make it fresh in the kitchen. It probably doesn't have raw egg in it. I used to work at Red Lobster and our Caesar dressing came premade from huge bags.

nealbl · July 2012

The only concern with this is that raw egg increase your chances of salmonella. If the salad had been infected you would be sick by now

jessican08 · July 2012

I think you'll be just fine. As the PP said, most eggs used by restaurants and sold in stores are pasteurized. I know I've eaten Caesar Salad more than once during this PG.

Megroons · July 2012

drpayne:
You have a greater chance of accidentally drowning. Seriously. Calm down.

Yes

whittier06 · July 2012

rmaxim:
If you're not sick now, you are fine!
The warnings about eating raw eggs (and other raw or unpasteurized things) are because those items are "more likely" to be contaminated, not because they are 100% dangerous. If what you ate was not contaminated then you have nothing to worry about!

MIT actually takes 18-36 hours for symptoms to appear.

sesigs · July 2012

A major chain like Uno would never use a product that wasn't pasteurized and if they did they would have to tell you somewhere on the menu ... liability and all. Even though the told you egg was it in if I were you I would feel pretty confident it was pasteurized! And at the end of the day even if it were raw egg it isn't likely to be a problem just once!

Megroons · July 2012

SmileyGirl18:
Megroons:

drpayne:
You have a greater chance of accidentally drowning. Seriously. Calm down.

This. It is all about moderation and making smart choices. If you ate a ceaser salad from a street vendor, I would be worried. From a national chain, you are fine. You are over thinking and need to go have a huge unheated turkey sandwich with a large coke.

I like you. I have eaten ceaser salad more than once during this pg and I'm just fine. I also eat a lot of unheated sandwiches and diet coke. It'll be alright! Like another PP said, you're causing yourself stress that is not needed!

Sprite2012 · July 2012

I have eaten Caesar salad multiple times since getting KU. My little boy is fine. I wouldn't worry about it.

ifwisheswerefishes · July 2012

SmileyGirl18:
Megroons:

drpayne:
You have a greater chance of accidentally drowning. Seriously. Calm down.

This. It is all about moderation and making smart choices. If you ate a caesar salad from a street vendor, I would be worried. From a national chain, you are fine. You are over thinking and need to go have a huge unheated turkey sandwich with a large coke.

you're my hero.

ssisland · July 2012

I agree that the restaurant most likely used bottled dressing with pasteurized egg product in the dressing.

However, there is much misinformation in this thread about eggs in the US. If you buy shell eggs in the US, the large majority are NOT pasteurized. Pasteurized shell eggs do exist, but are not that common and definitely not the common brands you are used to purchasing.

jennygirlmt · July 2012

I made DD's birthday cake (with four egg whites) and was standing at the sink licking the bowl before washing it and DH said "Should you be doing that while pregnant?" I totally forgot but didn't give it a second thought. It's probably pasteurized, probably bottled, and nothing to worry about. We go overboard to be overly safe, you shouldn't worry about this.