Is it safe to eat raw or runny eggs in pregnancy?

Eggs can be a good part of a healthy balanced diet but you might hear that eggs are not safe to eat in pregnancy, unless cooked well.

The advice used to be not to eat raw or runny eggs in pregnancy because of the risk of food poisoning from salmonella. However, this advice is now out of date.

What eggs can I eat raw in pregnancy?

You can eat eggs that are stamped with the red British Lion quality mark raw or cooked.

This is because the hens laying these eggs are vaccinated against salmonella and the eggs are regularly tested. Most eggs in the UK now have the British Lion mark.  

You can also eat food made with raw British Lion eggs, like mousse and mayonnaise. Supermarket foods usually use eggs that have been pasteurised to kill salmonella so are safe anyway, but you may want to check the ingredients.

Can I eat eggs that are not Red Lion?  

You can still eat eggs that are not British Lion, or not from hens, but make sure the whites and yolks are cooked thoroughly. Otherwise, there is a risk of salmonella.

Salmonella will not harm your baby but, because you’re pregnant you’re at higher risk of getting it. 

Salmonella can cause:

• severe vomiting and diarrhoea
• stomach pain
• a headache
• fever.

Why is it safe to eat Red Lion eggs raw or runny? 

In 2016 a report from the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF), showed that salmonella in UK eggs had decreased. They decided that the risks are very low for eggs which have been produced according to the British Lion Code of Practice.  

Strict rules have been put in place across as part of the Red Lion scheme including: 

• vaccinating hens
• enhanced testing for salmonella
• improved farm hygiene
• keeping the eggs cool while transporting them from farm to shop.