Eggs and Salmonella: What Published Guidance Supports

Key takeaways

• Store eggs at: 40°F (4°C) or below, in their carton on a refrigerator shelf
• Use fresh shell eggs within: 3 to 5 weeks of buying them
• Most useful single change: Buy eggs from a refrigerated case and choose ones with clean, uncracked shells.
• Commonest mistake: Eating raw cookie dough or cake batter made with raw eggs.
• See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.

What it is

How to buy, store and cook eggs to lower the risk of Salmonella, bacteria that can be present inside eggs that look normal. It sits within Food Safety. Below are the published figures, in one place.

The numbers, in one place

What helps

You do not have to do all of it, and you do not have to start today.

• Buy eggs from a refrigerated case and choose ones with clean, uncracked shells
• Use pasteurized eggs or egg products for recipes with raw or lightly cooked eggs, such as eggnog or homemade Caesar dressing
• Wash hands and surfaces after handling raw eggs
• Refrigerate hard-cooked eggs and egg dishes within 2 hours

What to avoid

Things that seem reasonable and are not.

• Eating raw cookie dough or cake batter made with raw eggs
• Washing US store-bought eggs, which were already washed commercially
• Leaving eggs at room temperature for more than 2 hours

In depth

Salmonella can get into eggs in two ways. It can be on the outside of the shell from contact with droppings, which is why US commercial eggs are washed before sale. More surprisingly, a hen infected with certain types of Salmonella can pass the bacteria into the egg before the shell forms, so an egg with a perfectly clean, uncracked shell can still contain germs. Only a small fraction of eggs are affected, but because Americans eat so many eggs, that small fraction still causes many illnesses.

Federal rules address both routes. FDA regulations require large egg producers to take steps such as testing and controlling Salmonella in their flocks and refrigerating eggs on the farm, and eggs must be kept cold during transport and in stores. Refrigeration matters because Salmonella inside an egg multiplies quickly at room temperature, and washing removes the egg's natural protective coating, so US eggs that have been washed need to stay cold.

Cooking is the final barrier. Salmonella is killed when eggs are cooked until the yolks and whites are firm, or when egg dishes reach 160°F (71°C). The risk comes mainly from raw or lightly cooked eggs, such as runny yolks, homemade mayonnaise, some sauces and desserts, and from eggs or egg dishes left out too long. Pasteurized shell eggs and egg products offer a safer option for recipes that call for raw eggs.

Signs and symptoms

• Diarrhea, which can be severe and sometimes bloody
• Fever and chills
• Stomach cramps
• Nausea, vomiting and headache
• Symptoms that last 4 to 7 days in most people
• Signs of dehydration such as dark urine, dizziness or a dry mouth

Causes and risk factors

• Eating raw or undercooked eggs, including runny yolks
• Tasting raw batter or dough made with eggs
• Homemade foods made with raw eggs, such as mayonnaise, eggnog, aioli or tiramisu
• Leaving eggs or egg dishes at room temperature
• Cross-contamination from cracked or dirty eggs to hands and surfaces
• Contact with backyard poultry, which can carry Salmonella on their feathers and feet

How it is checked

Salmonella infection is confirmed with a stool test, which your doctor may request if diarrhea is severe, bloody or persistent, if you have a high fever, or if you are in a higher-risk group. If you are very ill, blood tests may check for bacteria in the bloodstream and for dehydration.

Salmonella is reportable, so a positive test is shared with public health officials. Labs can compare the genetic fingerprint of the bacteria with other cases nationwide, which is how outbreaks linked to particular egg producers or foods are detected and recalls are triggered.

Treatment and support options

Fluids and rest

Most people recover without specific treatment in 4 to 7 days. Drinking plenty of fluids to replace what is lost through diarrhea is the most important step, and an oral rehydration solution can help, especially for children and older adults. Rest and eat plain foods as your appetite returns. Severe dehydration may need intravenous fluids in a hospital.

Antibiotics for some people

Antibiotics are not usually needed for healthy people with uncomplicated Salmonella infection, and may prolong the time bacteria are shed in stool. Your doctor may recommend them for severe illness, infection that has spread to the blood, or for people at higher risk, such as infants, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.

Use pasteurized eggs for raw recipes

Pasteurized shell eggs are heated in their shells enough to kill bacteria without cooking the egg, and they are sold in many US grocery stores. Pasteurized liquid egg products are another option. Use them for recipes that leave eggs raw or lightly cooked, such as Caesar dressing, homemade ice cream, mousse or eggnog.

Store eggs well

Keep eggs in their original carton, which protects them and shows the pack date, on a shelf inside the refrigerator rather than in the door, where the temperature fluctuates. Hard-cooked eggs should be used within a week. Eggs can be frozen out of their shells, beaten, for longer storage, but do not freeze eggs in the shell.

Prevention

• Cook scrambled eggs until there is no visible liquid egg
• Bake or cook casseroles, quiches and other egg dishes to 160°F (71°C)
• Discard cracked or dirty eggs
• Wash hands after handling raw eggs and after touching backyard chickens
• Keep eggs cold when carrying them home from the store

Day to day

Eggs are an affordable, nutritious food and easy to enjoy safely. The main adjustments are to cook them fully when serving higher-risk people, choose pasteurized eggs for recipes that leave them raw, and resist tasting raw dough or batter. For many families, the hardest habit to change is licking the spoon, and making a separate batch of edible cookie dough with heat-treated flour and no raw eggs can help.

If you keep backyard chickens, collect eggs often, discard cracked ones, refrigerate them promptly and cook them thoroughly. Wash hands after handling birds, eggs or anything in their area, and keep chickens out of the kitchen. Young children are especially likely to get Salmonella from backyard poultry, so supervise them and make sure they wash their hands.

For specific groups

Young children and infants

Children under 5 are more likely to get Salmonella infection, and babies are more likely to become seriously ill. Serve eggs fully cooked and seek care quickly for fever, bloody diarrhea or signs of dehydration.

Older adults

Adults 65 and over are more likely to need hospital care for Salmonella, and the infection is more likely to spread to the blood. Fully cooked or pasteurized eggs are the safer choice.

Pregnancy and weakened immunity

Pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems are advised to avoid raw and lightly cooked eggs. Choose firm-cooked eggs and pasteurized products in recipes that would otherwise use raw eggs.

Questions to ask your doctor

• Do I need a stool test, or will this get better on its own?
• Should I take antibiotics for this infection?
• How long am I contagious, and when can I return to work or school?
• What signs of dehydration should I watch for in my child?
• Is it safe for me to eat runny eggs with my health condition?

More questions, answered

Are brown eggs safer than white eggs?

No. Shell color depends on the breed of hen and has nothing to do with safety or nutrition. All eggs should be handled, stored and cooked the same way.

Are farm-fresh or organic eggs free of Salmonella?

No. Any hen can carry Salmonella, regardless of how it is raised. Eggs from small farms or backyard flocks may not go through the same washing and refrigeration controls as commercial eggs, so careful storage and cooking matter even more.

Can I eat sunny-side-up or soft-boiled eggs?

Runny yolks carry some risk. Healthy adults may choose to accept that small risk, but people in higher-risk groups are advised to eat eggs with firm yolks or use pasteurized shell eggs when they want them softly cooked.

Why are eggs not refrigerated in some other countries?

Some countries vaccinate hens and do not wash eggs, leaving the natural coating on the shell. US eggs are washed, which removes that coating, so they must be kept refrigerated. Once refrigerated, eggs should stay cold, because condensation on a warming egg can help bacteria move through the shell.

Is raw cookie dough safe if I use pasteurized eggs?

Pasteurized eggs remove the egg risk, but raw flour can also carry germs such as E. coli. Look for dough labeled safe to eat raw, or use heat-treated flour along with no eggs or pasteurized eggs.

How can I tell if an egg is old?

Check the date on the carton and use eggs within 3 to 5 weeks of buying them. The float test can show whether an egg is old, but not whether it contains Salmonella, so it is not a safety test.

Related topics

• What the Guidance Really Says About Cooking for One (Healthy Recipes)
• Eating Out: What the Evidence Actually Says (Weight Management)
• What the Guidance Really Says About Meal Planning (Nutrition)
• Testicular Self-Checks: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise (Men's Health)

Where to go next

• Popular Beliefs About Eggs and Salmonella, and What Is Actually Published
• Eggs and Salmonella: A Beginner-Friendly Start
• Eggs and Salmonella — the reference entry
• Food Safety: The Complete Guide
• Listeria in Pregnancy: What Published Guidance Supports
• What the Guidance Really Says About Allergens on Food Labels

When to speak to a doctor

See your doctor for diarrhea lasting more than 3 days, a fever over 102°F (38.9°C), bloody diarrhea or vomiting that stops you keeping fluids down, and call sooner for young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Call 911 for fainting, confusion or very little urine.

Where this comes from

• FDA — What You Need to Know About Egg Safety
• USDA — Shell Eggs from Farm to Table
• CDC — About Salmonella Infection

How this page was put together

Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.

Medical disclaimer

This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.