Royal icing safety concern
If you can get a powdered substitute, or even pasteurized egg whites, and it will make you feel better, go for it. I understand that using meringue powder is actually a bit easier to work with, so if it's convenient to you, and if it provides some peace of mind, don't hesitate. It won't compromise your final product at all.

I think there are official guidelines saying that eggs must be pasteurized (I forget whether the temperature is 140 or 160F) to be considered "safe," but common wisdom and experience would disagree with that. There's such a high proportion of sugar in royal icing that it will kill anything that might be living in the whites. And salmonella is pretty uncommon, in the grand scheme of things, and when it is found, it's usually in the yolks. If your egg whites are fresh and have been stored properly, I really would not worry about it for royal icing at all.

I won't say that it is entirely impossible to get salmonella from royal icing, but I think the odds are negligible. So again, do what makes you feel better.