I have fallen in love with IMBC (as has everone else who's tasted it - buttercream used to get left on the plate before as it was too sweet!), but I am concerned about whether it is safe for pregnant ladies to eat, due to the egg whites. I have two birthday cakes coming up next month that will be eaten by my two pregnant sisters-in-law and I would really like to be able to use IMBC on them, but don't want to risk causing any harm to my future nieces/nephews!
Is the heat of the syrup enough to make the egg whites safe for them to eat?
Kelly
Well, I'm certainly not a doctor, but I do have four kids. The concern w/ the egg whites would be salmonella. However, the salmonella would not hurt the babies, it would make the mom sick and in turn could affect the babies that way. With that being said, I believe the chances of getting salmonella are slim to none w/ egg whites. I believe the virus is strictly carried in the yolk itself. Too make a long answer short...I would let the mom's to be know and allow them to make their choice. Or, make two little cupcakes w/o the egg whites. I had very high risk pregnancies and I would not have thought twice about consuming the egg whites. 
I don't know if you have these in the US, but here in Quebec we have pasteurized egg whites that are sold in something that looks like milk cartons (1 cup), they can be found in every supermarket. These would be really safe for pregnant women, children, elderly and sick people.
I am pregnant and I was worried about that so I started buying the egg whites in the cartons that Quebeccakes mentioned just to be on the safe side. While salmonella can't hurt the baby as far as I know foods that are linked to it should be avoided and extra care should be taken when pregnant. I would definetly get the carton of egg whites and it turns out it is much easier to measure out egg whites in a carton than seperating 8 eggs!
I believe that the syrup is hot enough to 'cook' the egg whites, but I would notify the mommies-to-be just so they are aware. I personally wouldn't be concerned about it causing any problems. I always think of these as cooked, otherwise I wouldn't be able to eat it! (I'm just squeamish like that)
I got food poisoning when I was pregnant with my oldest (at a mother's day brunch, no less!! not related to eggs, though...) I was miserable for a day or two, but it didn't harm my baby in any way at all.
I've been researching a similar issue this morning, and everything that I have found says that during pregnancy all egg yolks AND whites should be completely cooked. However, if you are set on IMBC, you should be able to do a little research to find cartons of pastuerized egg whites, which would make them a little safer. Here's my question--because most of your extracts are alcohol-based, should pregnant women be avoiding them?
From one mommy to be to another:
- The egg whites are NOT brought to a high enough temperature in the meringue based frostings to kill bacteria.
- Pasturized eggs are eggs that have been exposed to heat on the outside so that only kills bacteria which might have been on the shell. It does not protect you from an egg which was produced by a sick chicken.
- Powdered egg whites, or meringue powder, REALLY WORKS and they are 100% safe. Unfortunately it's not sold in the baking aisle at the walmart I shop at so I have to pay a little more to get the Wilton brand meringue powder from the crafts section which is a little more expensive. But all you do is follow the directions and combine a couple of teaspoons of meringue powder with a couple of tablespoons of water (however much exactly the package says to) and whip it up. It takes just a little more time to whip into shape than fresh egg whites. Whipping egg whites is one of those times you're just darn grateful if you have a kitchenaid heheh. You get PERFECT results with the meringue powder though. I've made great frosting with it.
This is such a preference situation. I use only SMBC. I temp it tp 140 or higher and all my clients are still alive.
I ate meringue, sushi, and ate chcolate when I was Pregnant. I also drank a coke here and there. All is well.
Bacteria grows best between the temperature of 40 Degrees F to 140 degrees F. Can you honestly say that all the food you consume that is cooked is always above 140 degrees F...Most likely not.
This is a hot topic that has lived many times before!
Seems there will always be a question about this topic. Mine is also cooked to 140 degrees. I have not tried making it with powdered egg whites but I should think it would taste better than meringue powder. Have you smelled and tasted meringue powder? Yuck. I'd rather do without icing than make it with meringue powder.
On alcohol, there is such a small amount of extract or Vanilla in ratio to the other ingredients in icng that I can't imagine it being a concern unless you ate a whole recipe of icing every day. Using liquor in it might be something to think about because you generally use more than you would extracts, but even then I think it is a rather small amount per serving of icing on one piece of cake.
I have had a friend who is HIV positive and his immune system is of course compromised because of it, he has eaten IMBC icing on my cakes for years and hasn't had a problem.
Thanks everyone for the replies! I did a little research and I can get powdered egg whites (not meringue powder!) in England (and I'm going home for a holiday in 2 weeks, woo hoo!), so I'll buy some while I'm there and use it for the two cakes I have the week after I come back.
Kelly
first - salmonella is a bacteria, not a virus. and if you get the eggs up to 160 degrees it will kill any present. but not all eggs have it, btw. i eat raw egg and milk products, and I've never gotten sick. but young people, eldery people, and anyone with a compromised immune system are most at risk.
first - salmonella is a bacteria, not a virus. and if you get the eggs up to 160 degrees it will kill any present. but not all eggs have it, btw. i eat raw egg and milk products, and I've never gotten sick. but young people, eldery people, and anyone with a compromised immune system are most at risk.
jmt1714, is that 160 degrees F or C?
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