Desserts
Is tiramisu with raw egg safe to serve at a party?
Homemade tiramisu is often the star of a Dutch birthday, but the raw egg in it is not for every guest. Here is what the Netherlands Nutrition Centre says about salmonella, who should pass and how to keep these desserts cold.
Saturday evening, your aunt's birthday is winding down, and out comes the big dish of tiramisu. Sponge fingers soaked in coffee, mascarpone, a thick dusting of cocoa. In the classic version, raw egg yolks and whipped egg white are folded through the cream. For most guests that is a treat. For a few, it is a risk.
Why raw egg is a risk
Raw egg can carry salmonella, a bacterium common in animals, especially poultry and pigs. According to the Voedingscentrum, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, an infection causes diarrhoea and stomach pain, sometimes with fever, headache and aching muscles. Symptoms usually start within 1 to 2 days.
Heat makes the difference. Salmonella dies when food is heated properly, for at least 2 minutes at 70°C. That is exactly the catch with tiramisu, chocolate mousse, bavarois and homemade mayonnaise, because the egg in them is never heated again. The dishes the centre flags as risky include:
- homemade tiramisu
- mousse, such as chocolate mousse made with raw egg
- bavarois
- homemade mayonnaise
- raw batter
Who should skip the dessert
The advice is clear. Pregnant women, young children, older people and people with low resistance are advised not to eat dishes in which the egg stays raw, says 5x veilig met eieren, the centre's egg safety page. These groups fall ill more quickly after an infection, and for children the centre puts that at under 5.
For pregnant women, tiramisu has a second problem, as it often contains alcohol. The centre's page on tiramisu in pregnancy simply says it is not safe, and suggests a homemade version without raw egg and without alcohol instead. If you are unsure what you can eat, ask your midwife or GP.
If someone does feel ill after the party, watch for dehydration: passing little urine, feeling very thirsty and drowsy. That is the moment to see a GP. With older people, young children, pregnant women and anyone already unwell, don't wait too long.
A dessert every guest can eat
The simplest route follows from the advice itself. Don't use raw eggs in dishes that won't be heated again, or heat the dish with the egg in it all the way through. With a pregnant sister or a grandchild of three on the guest list, a dessert without raw egg is the easy choice.
What about pasteurised egg? Pasteurisation means briefly heating food to around 72°C, the Voedingscentrum explains in its encyclopaedia. That kills bacteria, though not all of them, which is why pasteurised products keep for a limited time and belong in the fridge. The centre's egg pages do not mention pasteurised egg, so if you are in one of the higher risk groups, check such a recipe with your midwife or GP first.
Keep it cold, eat it soon
If you still make a classic tiramisu or mousse for the other guests, keep any dish made with raw egg for no more than 24 hours, and always in the fridge. So don't make it two days ahead, however convenient that seems.
At a party, individual glasses help. Bring out a few when it is time for dessert and leave the rest in the fridge until they are asked for. Anything left over goes straight back in and is eaten within those 24 hours. For the rest of the spread, read how long food can sit out.
The number to remember
Keep a dish made with raw egg for 24 hours at most, and always in the fridge.
How to store eggs
In Dutch supermarkets, eggs sit outside the chiller, and there is a reason for that. Carry cold eggs home in a shopping bag and condensation forms on the shell. Bacteria grow faster in that moisture and may get into the egg.
At home, uncooked eggs do belong in the fridge, in their box at 4°C, says the Voedingscentrum. When buying, check the best before date and make sure none are cracked. Wash your hands with soap after touching raw eggs or their shells, and don't use a whisk or spatula that has been in raw egg for anything else until you have washed it in hot soapy water.
A dessert that suits every guest starts with knowing who is coming. Maximus Catering, chef David Nagib's kitchen in Ede and the surrounding area, makes cakes and desserts exactly to your wishes. Mention a pregnant guest or a toddler at the table when you get in touch, and you can choose a dessert that works for them together.
Questions people often ask
- Can you eat tiramisu when pregnant?
- The Voedingscentrum advises against homemade tiramisu with raw egg during pregnancy, and against tiramisu with alcohol. A homemade version without raw egg and without alcohol is fine. If in doubt, ask your midwife.
- How long does tiramisu with raw egg keep?
- Keep any dish made with raw egg for no more than 24 hours, and always in the fridge.
- Is chocolate mousse with raw egg safe for children?
- Young children fall ill more quickly from salmonella. The Voedingscentrum advises young children, pregnant women, older people and people with low resistance not to eat dishes in which the egg stays raw, such as mousse.
- Should eggs be kept in the fridge?
- At home, yes. Uncooked eggs are best kept in their box in the fridge at 4°C. Shops keep them out of the chiller to stop condensation forming on the shell.
- What temperature kills salmonella?
- According to the Voedingscentrum, salmonella dies when food is heated properly, for at least 2 minutes at 70°C.
Sources
- 5x veilig met eierenVoedingscentrum
- SalmonellaVoedingscentrum
- Kan ik tiramisu eten tijdens de zwangerschapVoedingscentrum
- Wat kun je doen als je mogelijk iets hebt gegeten met salmonella erinVoedingscentrum
- Waar bewaar ik eieren het besteVoedingscentrum
- Conserveren en pasteuriserenVoedingscentrum
The facts above come from these official sources, checked on 28 September 2026.
