Can you eat eggs when pregnant?

Find out if it's safe to eat eggs during pregnancy, including fried eggs, runny eggs, poached eggs and boiled eggs. Plus, precautions to take to keep you and your baby healthy.

The official advice on eating eggs in pregnancy

Good news! Cooked eggs are safe to eat in pregnancy - whether fried, poached, scrambled or boiled. However, raw, runny or partially cooked eggs are only safe to eat if they have a British Lion stamp.

This is because raw and partially cooked eggs without the Lion stamp carry a risk of salmonella food poisoning. While salmonella is unlikely to harm your unborn baby, it can make you very unwell.

British Lion stamped eggs

When you're pregnant, where possible, look for eggs with the British Lion stamp. According to the NHS, British Lion stamped eggs come from hens that have been vaccinated against salmonella, so the risk of food poisoning is extremely low. It's safe to eat British Lion eggs runny, partially cooked and raw in mousses and mayonnaise.

Eggs without the British Lion stamp

If your eggs don't have the British Lion mark, make sure the whites and yolks are fully cooked through before eating. Non-British Lion eggs should not be eaten partially cooked or raw when you're pregnant.

Duck, goose and quail eggs

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if you're eating eggs that aren't from hens, you should make sure that the whites and yolks are cooked until solid before eating.

Delicious egg recipes

Love eggs? Why not try one of these great pregnancy-safe recipes? Just be sure to use British Lion eggs, to be on the safe side.

• Cheesy eggs and tomatoes
• Perfect poached eggs
• Baked eggs
• Alpine eggs with spinach
• Perfect boiled eggs

We like The Whole 9 Months, a week-by-week pregnancy nutrition guide, packed full of recipes and medical advice. See more details here at Amazon.

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Foods to avoid in pregnancy: your definitive guide

Confused about what you can and can't eat during pregnancy? These are the foods and drinks you should avoid or cut down on to protect your baby.

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Looking for more pregnancy diet info? Check out our articles below, or swap tips with other mums-to-be in our forum.

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