4 Ways of Cooking Eggs You Should Be Careful With: What Doctors Really Want You to Know

Eggs are one of the most popular breakfast foods in the world. They are affordable, versatile, and packed with high-quality protein, choline, vitamin B12, selenium, and other essential nutrients.

But dramatic headlines sometimes claim that certain ways of cooking eggs can send an entire family to the hospital or make eggs dangerous.

The reality is more specific.

Eggs are generally safe and nutritious when handled and cooked properly. The main risks come from foodborne bacteria, undercooking, improper storage, contamination, and certain cooking practices—not from eggs themselves.

Some people also need to pay closer attention to how eggs are prepared because of pregnancy, older age, weakened immunity, or certain medical conditions.

Here are four egg-preparation habits worth understanding.

1. Eating Raw or Barely Cooked Eggs

The most important food-safety concern with eggs is Salmonella, a type of bacteria that can cause food poisoning.

Even clean, intact eggs can occasionally contain Salmonella. The risk is relatively low, but it is not zero.

Eating raw or undercooked eggs can therefore increase exposure to the bacteria.

Foods that sometimes contain raw or lightly cooked eggs include homemade mayonnaise, certain sauces, mousse, tiramisu, eggnog, cookie dough, and some traditional desserts.

A person infected with Salmonella may develop:

• Diarrhea

• Fever

• Abdominal cramps

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Headache

Symptoms can become serious, particularly in vulnerable individuals.

Young children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of severe foodborne illness.

For these groups, avoiding raw or undercooked eggs is especially important.

If you enjoy dishes containing uncooked eggs, commercially pasteurized eggs or pasteurized egg products can reduce the risk because they have undergone a process designed to kill harmful bacteria without substantially changing the egg.

2. Eating Eggs With Runny Whites or Yolks When Food Safety Is Uncertain

A runny yolk isn't automatically dangerous.

Many people enjoy sunny-side-up eggs, soft-boiled eggs, or eggs with a partially liquid center. The important question is whether the eggs have been handled and cooked safely.