Nancy Dooley wrote:

(Steve) wrote

I see some recipes (key lime pie for example) that include egg but
don't require cooking because the acid will 'cook' the egg. Are there
any rules or guidelines about how much acid is required to safely cook
the eggs and eliminate any danger of salmonella

Chefs and others can use pasteurized eggs - no danger of salmonella.
I wouldn't trust an "acid" to "cook" the egg, but I suppose it's
possible.

Not only possible, but it does. Commercial mayonnaise isn't cooked or
otherwise processed for sterilization. It's just naturally
room-temperature stable if made properly.

The pH of the vinegar and/or lemon juice eliminates any hazard. They
now use pasteurized eggs, but it wasn't always done that way. After
the mayo is made, it has to stand for 72 hours before shipping for the
acid to do its work.

The reason they say to refrigerate after opening is because of what
contaminants we might introduce with our knives and spatulas.

Pastorio