Egg safety in the home
You can enjoy eggs safely by using clean/uncracked eggs, handling them correctly and storing eggs and raw egg products in the refrigerator
When you crack your eggs, Salmonella which can be on the outside of the egg can migrate to the inside of the egg where, if the product is uncooked, it can continue to grow and make the food unsafe. Salmonella can also be spread around the kitchen if hands, equipment and surfaces aren’t washed (and sanitised) after touching the eggs. If raw or partially cooked egg products are made, these should be handled in very specific ways.
Raw egg products are foods that contain eggs which are uncooked or only partially cooked (for instance, not hot or long enough to kill bacteria). Examples of raw egg products can include:
Raw egg products are high risk potentially hazardous foods, therefore food businesses and individuals who like to experiment and cook at home need to be aware of appropriate preparation risks and controls. Controls include:
More specific information for food business on safer preparation methods for raw egg products can be found on the Egg food safety web page.
People such as young children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with suppressed immune systems are more susceptible to Salmonella infection because their immune systems are generally weaker than the average person. For this reason, and because there is always a risk that Salmonella is present on eggs, it is highly recommended not to serve raw or partially cooked eggs to vulnerable people, unless pasteurised egg is used. See the Food Safety Information Council’s poster on vulnerable people & eggs (PDF 748KB).