# Egg Coffee Trend Carries Food Safety Concerns
Egg coffee, a Vietnamese specialty gaining viral momentum on TikTok, involves whisking raw or lightly cooked eggs with sweetened condensed milk and hot coffee. The creamy mixture tops the beverage, creating an indulgent texture that appeals to social media audiences. While the drink offers aesthetic appeal and traditional cultural roots, health experts warn about serious risks.
Raw or undercooked eggs pose salmonella contamination hazards. Salmonella infection causes severe gastrointestinal illness, with symptoms including diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps that can persist for a week. Vulnerable populations face particular danger. Pregnant individuals, young children, older adults, and immunocompromised people experience more serious complications from foodborne pathogens.
The eggs used in egg coffee typically remain uncooked or barely reach temperatures sufficient to kill harmful bacteria. Even when eggs come from reliable sources, salmonella contamination cannot be guaranteed. Pasteurization, a heating process that eliminates pathogens, is rarely applied to eggs used in this recipe.
Food safety guidelines from the CDC and FDA consistently recommend avoiding raw eggs. Proper egg preparation requires cooking to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit or pasteurizing eggs before consuming them raw or lightly cooked.
The TikTok trend reflects broader patterns where viral food trends prioritize visual appeal and novelty over safety considerations. The platform's algorithm amplifies visually striking content, even when health risks accompany it.
Those interested in egg coffee can prepare safer versions using pasteurized eggs available at most grocery stores. These eggs undergo heat treatment that eliminates salmonella while maintaining the creamy texture the drink offers. Alternatively, using pasteurized egg products designed for raw consumption provides another risk-reduction option.
The traditional Vietnamese drink