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Can I eat eggs while pregnant?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Eggs cooked until the yolk and white are firm show No known issues in all six countries. Runny-yolk eggs show Check in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, and Avoid in Canada. The US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand ask for firm yolks; the UK accepts runny British Lion or Laid in Britain hen eggs. Raw egg in homemade mayonnaise shows Avoid in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, and Check in the US, UK and Canada, where pasteurised or Lion eggs are asked for.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Cooked firm: hard-boiled, scrambled, fried hard or in an omelette

    No known issuesIn all six countries

  • Runny yolk: soft-boiled, poached, over easy

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

Eggs while pregnant: what each country says.

Each country's own pregnancy guidance on 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

    • Cooked firm: hard-boiled, scrambled, fried hard or in an omeletteNo known issues
    • Runny yolk: soft-boiled, poached, over easyCheck
    • 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
    Raw egg, in homemade mayonnaise, mousse or dressings
    • FDAAvoid raw or undercooked eggs and foods containing them; foods made with pasteurized eggs are fine.Source
    • FoodSafety.gov (HHS)Foods with raw or lightly cooked eggs only with pasteurised eggs.Source

  • United Kingdom

    • Cooked firm: hard-boiled, scrambled, fried hard or in an omeletteNo known issues
    • Runny yolk: soft-boiled, poached, over easyCheck
    • 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
    Raw egg, in homemade mayonnaise, mousse or dressings
    • NHSRaw eggs that are not Lion-stamped may carry salmonella.Source
    • NHSRaw-egg foods like mayonnaise and mousse fine if made with British Lion or Laid in Britain hen eggs.Source

  • Canada

    • Cooked firm: hard-boiled, scrambled, fried hard or in an omeletteNo known issues
    • Runny yolk: soft-boiled, poached, over easyAvoid
    • 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
    Raw egg, in homemade mayonnaise, mousse or dressings
    • Health CanadaAvoid raw-egg foods (homemade mayonnaise, batter, ice cream) unless made with pasteurized liquid eggs.Source
    • CPSAvoid raw egg and egg dishes with runny yolk, such as eggnog.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid foods with raw egg: some dressings, sauces, cookie dough, cake batter, homemade eggnog (unless heated to 71 °C).Source

  • Australia

    • Cooked firm: hard-boiled, scrambled, fried hard or in an omeletteNo known issues
    • Runny yolk: soft-boiled, poached, over easyCheck
    • 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
    Raw egg, in homemade mayonnaise, mousse or dressings
    • NSW Food AuthorityDo not eat raw egg in food (home-made mayonnaise, aioli, mousse, batter).Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)No homemade mayonnaise, aioli, mousse or raw cake batter; commercial mayo/custard OK.Source
    • FSANZSafer alternatives to raw egg dishes: pasteurised eggs, commercial custard and dressings.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Commercially made products with egg (e.g. shop mayonnaise) are fine; not homemade mayonnaise, aioli, mousse or raw cake batter.Source

  • New Zealand

    • Cooked firm: hard-boiled, scrambled, fried hard or in an omeletteNo known issues
    • Runny yolk: soft-boiled, poached, over easyCheck
    • Health NZCook eggs well (firm yolks); no raw eggs.Source
    • Health NZCook eggs well with firm yolks; raw-egg dishes: don't eat.Source
    Raw egg, in homemade mayonnaise, mousse or dressings
    • MPI (NZ Food Safety)Avoid raw eggs (smoothies, mayonnaise, mousse).Source
    • Health NZRaw eggs in eggnog, smoothies, home-made mayonnaise, mousse, tiramisu etc: don't eat; no pasteurised-egg exception.Source

  • Ireland

    • Cooked firm: hard-boiled, scrambled, fried hard or in an omeletteNo known issues
    • Runny yolk: soft-boiled, poached, over easyCheck
    Raw egg, in homemade mayonnaise, mousse or dressings
    • HSEAvoid foods made with raw or under-cooked eggs, e.g. homemade mayonnaise; cook eggs thoroughly.Source
    • HSEAvoid foods made with raw or under-cooked eggs, such as homemade mayonnaise.Source
What to check

Before you eat eggs.

  1. Cook eggs until yolk and white are firm

    The FDA asks for eggs to be cooked until the yolk and white are firm, and egg dishes to 160°F. Health Canada asks for yolks cooked firm and egg dishes to 74°C. FDA

  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. For raw-egg recipes in the US, use pasteurised eggs

    The FDA asks for recipes with raw or runny eggs to use pasteurised eggs,. Pasteurised eggs say so on the carton. FDA

  4. Eating out, ask for eggs cooked through

    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 eggs
in pregnancy.

Deviled eggs are hard-boiled eggs, which show No known issues in all six countries. The filling decides the rest: jar mayonnaise is made with pasteurised eggs, says the FDA, while homemade raw-egg mayonnaise shows Avoid in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. The deviled eggs page has the details.

The FDA asks for eggs to be cooked until the yolk and white are firm, egg dishes to 160°F, and pasteurised eggs for recipes with raw or runny eggs.

An over easy egg has a runny yolk. Doola Scan shows Check in all six countries: the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand ask for firm yolks, and the UK accepts runny British Lion eggs. The over easy eggs page has the details.

Raw egg shows Avoid in Canada and Check in the other five, where the conditions differ: pasteurised eggs in the US, British Lion eggs in the UK. Ireland's HSE asks you to avoid foods made with raw or under-cooked eggs, such as homemade mayonnaise.

An over medium yolk is still soft in the middle. The US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand guidance asks for a firm yolk, so cook it over hard, unless you're in the UK and using British Lion eggs.

The NHS lists eggs among the protein foods to eat every day in pregnancy. Cooked the way your country's guidance asks, they count.

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.
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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.