I have a couple questions about meringue powder, so here they are:

1. Is it a safe substitute for egg whites?
I know that when egg whites are not fully cooked, they should not be prepared for pregnant women, babies, young children, the elderly, or anyone whose health is compromised. Is this true for meringue powder too?

2. Can I substitute meringue powder (with amount of water specified on meringue powder container) for egg whites to make Swiss Meringue Buttercream, Italian Meringue Buttercream, or similar recipes and still get the same results?

3. If I make a meringue buttercream recipe using meringue powder and ice a cake with it, does the cake need to be refrigerated (assuming the filling does not require refrigeration)?

Any information is appreciated! TIA, Jess

Here is what I know:

1)Meringue powder is safe for anyone to eat(except maybe those with allergies) but is not an acceptable substitute for egg whites IMO.

2)I don't think so. Meringue powder has many ingredients other than egg whites, and will affect the outcome of your recipe. You can however use powdered egg whites or pasteurized egg whites that are found in little cartons in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, usually near the eggs (but not always)- this would also be cheaper than using meringue powder.

3) see #'s 1 and 2

The liquid pastuerized eggwhites won't whip
There is a product called "just whites" Which is nothing but dehydrated pastuerized egg whites that you reconstitute. They work perfectly for substituting. And they don't have any stabilizers that you find in meringue powder. So you will have to add the cream of tartar or lemon juice to stabilize them.
I have found that if you do use them it's best to reconstitute them with a little bit of warm water about 30 minutes before you need them. It gives the powder time to absorb the liquid. Then they work just fine.
You should be able to find them in the drygoods healthfood section or dietetic section of the grocery store.

they have been pastuerized but any moist product has a shorter shelf life than dry. Personally, I would put mine in the fridge, just because I don't want my puppies sampling my wares. (p.s. I don't make my cakes at home I work out of a bakery)

Sweetamber, I think we are thinking of two different products here. The liquid eggwhites that they have here where I live aren't meant for baking n such, they don't have the correct consistency. If you can get the good stuff that's great. We just don't have that here.

Thanks for your replies! I have been reading more about the powdered Just Whites (I did a search on Google), and I read that they are pasteurized, salmonella-free, and safe to use, and Just Whites will produce the same results as if using real egg whites in a recipe. I also read, though, that the finished product should be refrigerated - for example if I iced a cake with Italian Meringue buttercream using Just Whites it should be stored in the refrigerator.

So, I think my original questions are answered - thanks everyone!

But now here's another question...
Does anyone have a good recipe for a meringue - type or whipped cream-type icing that does NOT require refrigeration? Thanks!

There is a recipe here on the site that is called "whipped cream buttercream" It uses the same principles as imbc but has a much longer shelf life and isn't quite as delicate. but still better in my book than regular american bc.
here's the link to it. http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-2019-Whipped-Cream-Buttercream-Frosting.html

Hmmm I wonder too... I didn't think so, which is why I was hoping I could use meringue powder for a meringue icing that would not need to be refrigerated. I was reading an egg safety information page when I came across the information about refrigerating reconstituted egg products.

I just looked in my Toba Garret book (The Well-Decorated Cake), and her buttercream recipes include meringue powder. For her Decorator's Buttercream Icing, she says to store it you can freeze for up to 3 months, but doesn't say whether it should be refrigerated or not.
BUT, for her Decorator's Buttercream Practice Icing recipe that includes meringue powder, she specifies that icing "DOES NOT need to be refrigerated", and that "it lasts for months without refrigeration". So I'm still confused - I wonder if it doesn't need refrigeration because it is only a "practice" icing. I wish she specified for the regular buttercream recipe whether it needs to be refrigerated. Oh well... so my search for a meringue and/or whipped cream type icing that does not require refrigeration continues.

Thanks chaptlps - I just saw your post! I'll have to check it out!

Yea, Jessmar, I'm confused now too. If an icing made with powdered Just Whites would need refrigeration, then it seems that an icing made with Meringue powder would need refrigeration as well. They are both egg whites. I wonder if it could be that the meringue one wouldn't need refrigeration because it has added ingredients in the mix whereas the Just Whites just has the whites???? I'm sooooo confused.........

Any meringue buttercream would be refrigerated. A few spoonsful of meringue powder in a powdered sugar/crisco buttercream, no.