Can You Eat Eggs While Pregnant? Runny, Century & Salted

The short answer

In the United States, CDC recommends cooking eggs until the yolks and whites are firm and using pasteurized eggs in foods that will not be cooked to a safe temperature. The United Kingdom has a specific exception for British Lion-marked and Laid in Britain hen eggs. That exception does not apply to every egg or every medical situation.

U.S. guidance: firm eggs or pasteurized egg

Look up a specific preparation in the egg cooking checker if you want the answer for sunny side up, over easy, poached, Benedict, or another cooking style rather than for eggs in general. Sunny side up leaves the yolk runny, so it falls under the same guidance as over easy rather than under a rule of its own.

CDC lists raw or runny eggs as the riskier choice during pregnancy. It recommends cooking shell eggs until both yolks and whites are firm. Egg dishes without meat or poultry should reach 160°F or 71°C. If a recipe will stay raw or undercooked, such as mousse or Caesar dressing, CDC and FDA recommend pasteurized eggs or pasteurized egg products.

Look for the word pasteurized. It is not interchangeable with organic, free-range, cage-free, pasture-raised, backyard, or farm-fresh.

Check the cooking temperature

Closed: the shell egg Salmonella outbreak

CDC closed this investigation on 3 September 2026 and says the outbreak is over. The final count was 134 illnesses across 18 states, 34 hospitalizations, and no deaths. CDC also notes that the recalled eggs are now past their expiration dates.

It is kept here because the question does not disappear when an investigation closes. People who ate recalled eggs in July or August still search for this, and an outbreak being over is a genuinely useful answer to find.

The recalled eggs include white shell eggs and brown cage-free shell eggs in bulk and retail sizes of 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, and 60 eggs. FDA and CDC name brands including Kroger, Simple Truth, Brookshire's, Cal-Maine, and Country Morning. The recalled cartons have codes P-1950 or 0840962, Julian dates 157 through 184, and sell-by or best-by dates from July 20 through August 17, 2026.

If you have eggs without the original carton and cannot tell whether they are part of the recall, FDA says to throw them away. If you ate recalled eggs and have symptoms, CDC says to call your health care provider right away for severe diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down, or signs of dehydration.

Pull carton codes into the recall checker

U.K. guidance: check the hen egg and the mark

Current NHS and Food Standards Agency guidance says hen eggs with the red British Lion mark or produced under the Laid in Britain scheme can be eaten raw or partially cooked during pregnancy when they are within the use-by date. Hen eggs outside those schemes and duck, goose, or quail eggs should be well cooked.

This exception does not apply to people who are severely immunocompromised and following a medically supervised diet. Follow the advice from your health professional if that applies to you.

Century eggs and salted eggs while pregnant

These two get asked about together, but they are different products with different answers.

Salted egg

Salted egg: yes, once it is fully cooked. Many salted duck eggs are sold raw, packed in brine or salted clay, and salting does not make them safe. When researchers added Salmonella to duck eggs before salting, it multiplied in the first two days and was still there two months later. Boil them until the yolk is firm, or buy them already cooked. Salted egg yolk snacks and pastries use cooked yolk. All of them are very salty.

Century egg

There is no official answer, and there are two reasons to be careful. Century eggs (pidan, thousand-year eggs) are cured in an alkaline mix of lime, ash, and salt for weeks at room temperature. They are sold ready to eat and are never heated, so they do not meet the CDC or NHS advice to cook eggs thoroughly. British Columbia's public health agency notes that if the egg was contaminated, pathogens can survive the curing. The same Taiwanese study found Salmonella still present after two to three months.

Lead in century eggs

Traditional production used lead oxide to speed up curing. Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety advises eating lime-preserved eggs only in moderation, and notes that a developing baby is more sensitive to lead. Many brands now use copper or zinc instead and print "lead-free" on the box. We could not find a regulator that defines that label.

Balut

Balut is a boiled duck egg. NHS says duck eggs are fine when well cooked, so the question is whether it was cooked through, not what kind of egg it is.

No U.S., U.K., Hong Kong, or Singapore pregnancy guidance names century eggs, so this is not an official ban. It is an uncooked egg with a lead history, which is why skipping it until after pregnancy is the cautious choice. If you do eat one, choose a labelled product from a regulated brand and have it in hot congee rather than cold with tofu. That is our reading of the cook-thoroughly advice. No agency has tested whether heating a finished century egg in congee is enough.

Already ate one? One egg does not mean anything went wrong. Salmonella symptoms usually start within six hours to six days. If you are worried about lead, CDC suggests asking your healthcare provider whether a blood lead test makes sense.

Look up century, salted, poached, or over easy eggs

Duck eggs, quail eggs, and egg salad

A duck egg, quail egg, egg salad sandwich, or chilled prepared salad has extra details: what animal the egg came from, whether it was commercially prepared, whether it was kept cold, and whether the label or seller can explain the handling.

In the U.K., the raw or partially cooked egg exception is narrow. It applies to hen eggs with the red British Lion mark or Laid in Britain assurance, when they are within the use-by date. NHS says duck, goose, and quail eggs should be well cooked.

Save the egg type, label, storage, and timing

Mayonnaise, Caesar dressing, hollandaise, and desserts

Egg can be easy to miss in aioli, fresh mayonnaise, Caesar dressing, hollandaise, béarnaise, eggnog, mousse, meringue, tiramisu, homemade ice cream, and raw batter. FDA says commercial mayonnaise, dressings, and sauces contain pasteurized eggs, but check the label and storage instructions on the product in front of you.

At a restaurant or in a homemade recipe, ask whether the egg was pasteurized or whether the food was thoroughly cooked. If raw flour, unpasteurized dairy, or another higher-risk ingredient is present, that needs its own check. For raw flour specifically, the raw dough and batter guide covers why CDC leads with the flour rather than the egg.

Review egg and pasteurization wording

If you already ate a runny egg

One egg is not proof that something went wrong. It also helps to know that eggs raise a different question from most pregnancy food warnings, and it runs on a much shorter clock.

Eggs are a Salmonella question, not a Listeria one

A lot of pregnancy food advice is really about Listeria, which is why people expect to worry for weeks. Raw and undercooked eggs are mainly a Salmonella question, and Salmonella behaves differently. CDC says symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after infection and usually last 4 to 7 days.

So the watch window here is days, not the ten weeks that applies to Listeria from deli meat or soft cheese. If you ate a runny egg a fortnight ago and have felt well throughout, you are past the window CDC describes for this particular illness. That is about Salmonella specifically, not a general all-clear, and it does not apply if the dish also contained something in the Listeria category.

What Salmonella actually looks like

CDC lists watery diarrhoea that might contain blood or mucus, and stomach cramps that can be severe. Some people also get headache, nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite. It is unpleasant and obvious rather than subtle.

CDC says to call a doctor for diarrhoea or vomiting lasting more than 2 days, blood in stool or urine, a fever above 102°F, or signs of dehydration: little or no urine, very dark urine, strong thirst, a dry mouth or throat, or feeling dizzy or lightheaded. Dehydration deserves particular attention in pregnancy, so do not wait it out if you cannot keep fluids down.

Check the carton against the current recall

There is an open FDA and CDC investigation into Salmonella linked to shell eggs, so this is one of the cases where checking is concrete rather than theoretical. If you still have the carton, compare the code, Julian date, and sell-by or best-by date against the official notice rather than going by brand alone.

Either way, write down the egg or dish, the brand or restaurant, and when you ate it, while you still remember. Then contact your doctor, midwife, maternity service, or local health service if you feel unwell, know of a confirmed exposure, have a condition that changes your risk, or want advice about your circumstances.

Check current official food recalls

Ask about the exact egg

Tell Nouri how the egg was cooked, whether the label says pasteurized, whether it was a hen, duck, quail, or preserved egg, your country, and whether it was part of a sauce, dessert, sandwich, salad, congee, or restaurant dish. Those details are more useful than asking about eggs in general. If a recall may apply, include the brand, carton code, Julian date, best-by or sell-by date, store, and state.

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Common questions

Can I eat runny eggs while pregnant?

In current U.S. guidance, CDC recommends eggs cooked until the yolks and whites are firm. Current U.K. guidance allows raw or partially cooked hen eggs during pregnancy when they have the British Lion mark or come from the Laid in Britain scheme and are within the use-by date. Other eggs should be well cooked.

Are pasteurized eggs the same as pasture-raised eggs?

No. Pasteurized means the egg was treated to reduce pathogens. Pasture-raised describes how hens were raised. Organic, free-range, backyard, farm-fresh, and a clean-looking shell do not confirm pasteurization.

Can pregnant women eat century eggs?

No U.S. or U.K. pregnancy authority names century eggs, so there is no official yes or no. Two facts matter. A century egg is cured in an alkaline mix at room temperature and never heated, so it does not meet the CDC or NHS advice to cook eggs thoroughly, and a Taiwanese study found Salmonella survived the cure. Traditional production also used lead oxide, and Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety advises eating lime-preserved eggs only in moderation because a developing baby is more sensitive to lead. Skipping them until after pregnancy is the cautious choice.

Can I eat salted egg while pregnant?

Yes, once it is fully cooked with a firm yolk. Salted duck eggs are often sold raw in brine or clay, and salting does not make them safe: in the same Taiwanese study Salmonella grew during salting and was still there two months later. Cooked salted eggs, and snacks made with cooked salted egg yolk, fall under the ordinary well-cooked egg rule. They are very salty, so keep portions small.

Can I have mayonnaise or Caesar dressing while pregnant?

FDA says commercial mayonnaise, dressings, and sauces contain pasteurized eggs. For homemade or restaurant-made products, ask whether pasteurized egg was used or whether the recipe was thoroughly cooked, then follow storage and date instructions.

What if I already ate a runny egg while pregnant?

Eating it does not prove that you or your pregnancy were harmed. Note what you ate and when, check current recalls, and contact your clinician, maternity service, or local health service if you feel unwell, know of an exposure, or need advice for your situation.

Which eggs are in the current FDA and CDC recall?

FDA and CDC say Midwest Poultry Services recalled white shell eggs and brown cage-free shell eggs sold in several retail and bulk sizes under brands including Kroger, Simple Truth, Brookshire's, Cal-Maine, and Country Morning. The recalled cartons have codes P-1950 or 0840962, Julian dates 157 through 184, and sell-by or best-by dates from July 20 through August 17, 2026. Compare the official FDA or CDC notice before deciding whether your carton matches.

Sources reviewed

Sources checked on 28 September 2026. Open each source for its latest version.

Can you eat eggs while pregnant?