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Can I eat boiled eggs while pregnant?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Hard-boiled eggs, with the yolk and white both firm, show No known issues in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. Soft-boiled, half-boiled or dippy eggs with a runny yolk show Check in five countries and Avoid in Canada, where Health Canada asks for firm yolks with no exception for stamped eggs. The US, Australia and New Zealand also ask for yolks cooked firm, while the NHS accepts runny yolks from British Lion or Laid in Britain hen eggs.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Hard-boiled eggs, yolk and white firm

    No known issuesIn all six countries

  • Soft-boiled, half-boiled or dippy eggs with a runny yolk

    CheckUnited StatesUnited KingdomAustraliaNew ZealandIrelandAvoidCanada
Doola Scan checking a plate
What each country says

Boiled eggs while pregnant: what each country says.

Each country's own pregnancy guidance on boiled eggs, with a link to it. Doola Scan uses your country's first.

  • Doola has no source from Ireland on this yet; its answer comes from the other countries' guidance.

  • United States

    • Hard-boiled eggs, yolk and white firmNo known issues
    • Soft-boiled, half-boiled or dippy eggs with a runny yolkCheck
    • FDACook eggs until yolk and white are firm; recipes with raw or runny eggs only with pasteurized eggs.Source
    • FDARaw eggs can carry salmonella.Source
    • FoodSafety.gov (HHS)Cook eggs until yolks and whites are firm; egg dishes to 160°F.Source

  • United Kingdom

    • Hard-boiled eggs, yolk and white firmNo known issues
    • Soft-boiled, half-boiled or dippy eggs with a runny yolkCheck
    • FSAWhen eating out, pregnant people should make sure eggs are thoroughly cooked, as they may not be British Lion or Laid in Britain.Source
    • NHSNon-Lion eggs are more likely to carry salmonella.Source
    • NHSBritish Lion or Laid in Britain hen eggs can be eaten raw or runny; other eggs only well-cooked.Source

  • Canada

    • Hard-boiled eggs, yolk and white firmNo known issues
    • Soft-boiled, half-boiled or dippy eggs with a runny yolkAvoid
    • CPSAvoid raw egg and egg dishes with runny yolk.Source
    • Health CanadaCook eggs until the yolks are firm; no exception for stamped or certified eggs.Source
    • Health CanadaCook eggs until yolks are firm; egg dishes to 74°C.Source

  • Australia

    • Hard-boiled eggs, yolk and white firmNo known issues
    • Soft-boiled, half-boiled or dippy eggs with a runny yolkCheck
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Cook eggs until whites and yolks are hard; no runny-egg exception.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Cook eggs until whites and yolks are hard.Source

  • New Zealand

    • Hard-boiled eggs, yolk and white firmNo known issues
    • Soft-boiled, half-boiled or dippy eggs with a runny yolkCheck
    • Health NZCook eggs well (firm yolks); no raw eggs.Source
    • Health NZCook eggs well with firm yolks; raw-egg dishes: don't eat.Source
What to check

Before you eat boiled eggs.

  1. Boil until the yolk is firm

    Australia's Pregnancy Birth and Baby asks for eggs cooked until the whites and yolks are hard, and the FDA asks for yolk and white to be firm. Pregnancy Birth and Baby

  2. In the UK, a runny yolk needs the red lion stamp

    The NHS says hen eggs with the red British Lion stamp, or from the Laid in Britain scheme, can be eaten raw or partly cooked, before the use-by date. Other hen eggs, and duck, goose or quail eggs, should be well cooked. NHS

  3. Eating out, ask for the eggs hard-boiled

    The FSA asks pregnant people eating out to make sure eggs are thoroughly cooked, because a cafe's eggs may not be British Lion or Laid in Britain. FSA

Questions

About boiled eggs
in pregnancy.

A half-boiled egg has a runny yolk. Doola Scan shows Avoid for it in Canada and Check in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. A fully hard-boiled egg shows No known issues in all six.

The NHS lists eggs among the protein foods to eat every day in pregnancy, and Health NZ says eggs give you protein and iron and are a useful source of iodine. Cooked the way your country's guidance asks, they count. Health NZ's pregnancy guide also lists a hard-boiled egg among its snack toppings.

Soft-boiled eggs show Check in five countries and Avoid in Canada. The US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand ask for firm yolks; in the UK, the NHS accepts British Lion or Laid in Britain hen eggs soft.

A medium-boiled yolk is still soft in the middle. The US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand guidance asks for a firm yolk, so boil it longer, unless you're in the UK and using British Lion eggs.

None of these countries' pregnancy guidance sets a number of minutes for boiled eggs. They ask for the result instead: yolk and white firm in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The egg guidance is the same all through pregnancy. None of the six countries changes it by trimester.

The guidance is about how to cook eggs next time. If you feel unwell or are unsure, talk to your midwife or doctor.

Yes. Take a photo of the label, the menu or the plate, and Doola Scan checks each ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
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Not sure about a meal? Scan it.

Point Doola at a plate, a menu or a label. It checks every ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance and shows its sources. Food scans are free, 3 a day.

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Doola shows what official guidance says; it never diagnoses. No known issues means none of these countries' pregnancy guidance names it, not a promise that a food is safe.