Karen Penner, extension specialist and professor of foods and nutrition, has some food safety advice to keep you healthy through the holiday season. The easiest way to have egg nog is to buy it in the carton, and it's already pasteurized. If you make egg nog at home, use pasteurized eggs, not raw eggs.
Raw eggs can contain bacteria that, if consumed, can cause salmonella infection.
It's a real temptation to sample the cookie dough. Most people don't get sick from it, but it does contain raw eggs. Young children and elderly people should particularly be cautious about eating raw eggs, because they are more susceptible to food-borne illnesses. Custard-type pies, including homemade pumpkin pie, need to be refrigerated. Don't leave potentially harmful food out on the table after dinner.