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Can I eat buldak noodles while pregnant?

No known issues Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Buldak noodles aren't on the pregnancy food lists of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Ireland, so Doola Scan shows No known issues for the noodles and their hot sauce. None of these countries' pregnancy food lists names spicy food. The NHS mentions spice once, for heartburn: cutting down on rich, spicy or fatty foods can ease it. Two things are worth a look: the salt on the packet, and any egg you add, which the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand ask you to cook until the yolk is firm.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Buldak ramen, original or 2x spicy, with the hot sauce

    No known issuesIn all six countries

  • Buldak Carbonara and the cheese flavors

    No known issuesIn all six countries

  • Buldak hot sauce on its own

    No known issuesIn all six countries
Doola Scan checking a plate
What each country says

Buldak noodles while pregnant: what each country says.

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

  • No known issues

    None of the six countries' pregnancy guidance names buldak noodles.

  • United States

    No known issues
    An egg cracked into the noodles
    • 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

    No known issues
    An egg cracked into the noodles
    • 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

    No known issues
    An egg cracked into the noodles
    • 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

    No known issues
    An egg cracked into the noodles
    • 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

    No known issues
    An egg cracked into the noodles
    • 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 buldak noodles.

  1. Cook an added egg until the yolk is firm

    If you stir an egg into your buldak, the FDA and FoodSafety.gov ask for eggs cooked until the yolk and white are firm, and Health Canada says the same. In the UK, the NHS says British Lion or Laid in Britain hen eggs can be eaten runny. FoodSafety.gov

  2. Read the salt on the packet

    Instant noodles list salt or sodium on the label. The NHS says adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day, about 1 level teaspoon. On a US label, the FDA counts 20% Daily Value of sodium or more per serving as high. NHS

  3. Ease off if the spice brings on heartburn

    The NHS says cutting down on rich, spicy or fatty foods, and on caffeine, can ease heartburn in pregnancy, as can smaller meals more often. If changes to what you eat don't help, it says to see your midwife or GP. NHS

  4. If you already ate buldak, look at what was in the bowl

    Hot noodles and sauce are a different case from a bowl with runny egg, raw sprouts, or undercooked meat or seafood, which the CDC lists as riskier choices in pregnancy. In the UK, the NHS says British Lion or Laid in Britain hen eggs can be eaten runny. If the bowl had one of those riskier toppings, or if you develop fever, repeated vomiting, dehydration, bloody diarrhea, severe cramps, or feel very unwell, ask for care advice. Ordinary spice discomfort is a different thing. CDC

Questions

About buldak noodles
in pregnancy.

Buldak ramen isn't named in the pregnancy guidance of any of these six countries, and neither are instant noodles or chili sauce, so Doola Scan shows No known issues. What the guidance does cover is the egg you might add, and the NHS limit of 6g of salt a day for adults.

The guidance is the same in every trimester. None of the six countries lists spicy noodles at any stage of pregnancy, and the egg and salt advice applies from the first weeks on.

No pregnancy food list in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Ireland names spicy food. The NHS mentions it only for heartburn, saying that cutting down on rich, spicy or fatty foods can ease symptoms.

Heartburn is common in pregnancy, and the NHS lists spicy food among the things that can make it worse. It suggests smaller meals more often, sitting up straight while you eat, and not eating within about 3 hours of bed. See your midwife or GP if diet changes don't help.

Buldak Carbonara is a flavor of the instant noodles, not the Italian pasta. The pregnancy egg guidance is about carbonara made with raw or lightly cooked egg, which is Check or Avoid depending on the country. For the packet, scan the ingredients on the label and Doola Scan checks each one.

None of the six countries' pregnancy guidance carries a warning about buldak or spicy instant noodles. If your packet has its own warning or a recall notice applies where you live, follow that.

The NHS says adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day, and the FDA says less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day. Instant noodle packets show the amount, so you can see how much of that one serving uses.

Yes, if it's cooked the way your country asks. The US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand ask for eggs cooked until the yolk is firm; Canada lists runny yolks as Avoid. In the UK, British Lion or Laid in Britain eggs can be runny.

Buldak isn't on the pregnancy food lists of these six countries, so Doola Scan shows No known issues. Cook any egg you add until the yolk is firm, and keep an eye on the salt on the label.

Yes. Take a photo of the label, and Doola Scan checks every ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
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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.