Can you eat runny eggs while pregnant?
Check firstOnly if the eggs are pasteurized, or cooked until both the white and yolk are firm. Raw and lightly cooked egg carries a Salmonella risk, and pregnancy makes food poisoning hit harder.
Why
A soft or runny yolk has not reached a temperature that kills Salmonella, and the FDA sets 160°F as the safe internal temperature for egg dishes, with whites and yolks cooked firm for whole eggs. Foodsafety.gov lists raw and undercooked eggs among the foods pregnant people should skip, because a Salmonella infection during pregnancy can mean high fever, dehydration and hospitalization. Pasteurized shell eggs are the exception: they are heat-treated in the shell, so a runny yolk from a pasteurized egg is fine. That also covers the hidden sources, homemade mayonnaise, hollandaise, tiramisu, mousse and raw cookie dough, which are safe when made with pasteurized eggs or a pasteurized liquid egg product.
Safer alternatives
- Pasteurized shell eggs (Safe Eggs / Davidson's) poached or soft-boiled as usual
- Hard-boiled eggs cooked 9 to 10 minutes so the yolk sets
- A firm-set fried egg, basted with a lid until the yolk films over
- Store-bought mayonnaise and Caesar dressing, which use pasteurized egg
- Liquid pasteurized egg (Egg Beaters) for scrambles, custards and mousse
Sources
- FDA (foodsafety.gov) https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/safe-minimum-internal-temperatures
- FDA (foodsafety.gov) https://www.foodsafety.gov/people-at-risk/pregnant-women
Every verdict follows our sourcing methodology: official health guidelines only, most cautious position when they differ.
Last reviewed by the pregAI editorial team.
Frequently asked questions
I ate a runny egg before I knew, should I worry?
One runny egg is very unlikely to cause a problem, since most eggs carry no Salmonella at all. Watch for fever, stomach cramps or diarrhea over the next few days and call your provider if they show up. Going forward, cook eggs until firm or buy pasteurized ones.
Are pasteurized eggs really safe runny?
Yes. Pasteurized shell eggs are gently heated in the shell to destroy Salmonella without cooking the egg, so the yolk still runs. They are sold in cartons marked pasteurized, usually with a red P stamp on each shell.
What about restaurant eggs Benedict or a runny brunch egg?
Most restaurants use regular eggs, not pasteurized ones, so a runny poached egg and its hollandaise both carry the Salmonella risk. Ask for the egg cooked hard and the sauce left off, or order something else. Some higher-end kitchens do use pasteurized egg for hollandaise, so it is worth asking.
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