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Can I eat a fried egg while pregnant?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

A fried egg cooked until the yolk and white are firm shows No known issues in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. With a runny yolk, a fried egg shows Check in five countries and Avoid in Canada, where Health Canada asks for firm yolks with no exception for stamped eggs. The FDA suggests 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or 4 minutes in a covered pan. In the UK, the NHS accepts runny yolks from British Lion or Laid in Britain hen eggs.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Fried until the white and yolk are firm, or over hard

    No known issuesIn all six countries

  • Fried egg with a runny yolk

    CheckUnited StatesUnited KingdomAustraliaNew ZealandIrelandAvoidCanada

  • Sunny side up or over easy

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

Fried egg while pregnant: what each country says.

Each country's own pregnancy guidance on fried egg, 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

    • Fried until the white and yolk are firm, or over hardNo known issues
    • Fried egg with a runny yolkCheck
    • Sunny side up or 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

  • United Kingdom

    • Fried until the white and yolk are firm, or over hardNo known issues
    • Fried egg with a runny yolkCheck
    • Sunny side up or 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

  • Canada

    • Fried until the white and yolk are firm, or over hardNo known issues
    • Fried egg with a runny yolkAvoid
    • Sunny side up or 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

  • Australia

    • Fried until the white and yolk are firm, or over hardNo known issues
    • Fried egg with a runny yolkCheck
    • Sunny side up or 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

  • New Zealand

    • Fried until the white and yolk are firm, or over hardNo known issues
    • Fried egg with a runny yolkCheck
    • Sunny side up or 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
What to check

Before you eat fried egg.

  1. Fry it until the yolk is firm

    The FDA asks for fried eggs to be cooked 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or 4 minutes in a covered pan, until yolk and white are firm. That's the line in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. 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. Eating out, ask for the egg over hard

    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 fried egg
in pregnancy.

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. None of these countries' pregnancy food lists names frying; what they ask for is a firm yolk, or a British Lion egg in the UK.

A fried egg (telur goreng) cooked until the yolk is firm shows No known issues in all six countries. With a runny yolk (setengah matang), it shows Check, and Avoid in Canada.

They have runny yolks, so the same lines apply: firm yolks in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and British Lion or Laid in Britain eggs if runny in the UK. Doola Scan shows Check for both, and Avoid in Canada for runny-yolk eggs.

The FDA asks for eggs cooked until yolks and whites are firm, unless they're pasteurised. Health Canada asks for firm yolks with no exception for stamped eggs.

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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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.