Pregnant Women Allowed Eat Runny Eggs, UK Law Says

Pregnant women, infants, children and the elderly will be able to enjoy raw, soft boiled or runny eggs in the United Kingdom following a revision made by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Wednesday. Vulnerable groups have been advised by the FSA to avoid eggs, with the exception of hard-boiled, because of a potential salmonella contamination. Salmonella is bacteria that can cause serious illness, including food poisoning.

This would be the first time in 30 years that vulnerable groups would be able to eat non-hard-boiled eggs. The decision reportedly comes on the heels of a year-long risk assessment conducted by The Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food. Vaccination programs for animals and improved hygiene at farms is said to have practically eradicated salmonella's presence in British eggs over two decades.

"It's good news that now even vulnerable groups can safely eat U.K. eggs without needing to hardboil them, so long as they bear the British Lion mark," Heather Hancock, Chairman of the Food Standards Agency, said in a press release Wednesday. "The FSA has thoroughly reviewed the scientific evidence about the safety of these eggs, and we're confident that we can now change our advice to consumers."

Hancock added, "The major reduction in the risk of salmonella in Lion eggs is [a] testament to the work carried out by egg producers."

The FSA deems "Lion Mark" eggs to be safe for babies, children, pregnant women and the elderly. Lion Mark eggs are produced under strict requirements of the British Lion Code of Practice (BLCP), which ensures that the product is of the highest quality for food standards. Lion Mark eggs boast a mark that is stamped in by its producer. U.K. non-Lion eggs, however, should still be cooked properly for vulnerable groups.

More than 90 percent of UK eggs are produced under these restrictions, with more than 130 billion British Lion eggs sold since its launch in 1998.

This advisory does not apply to all vulnerable groups. Severely immunocompromised individuals, who have supervised diets prescribed by medical professionals, are still warned to avoid such foods. The revision also only applies to eggs produced under the BLCP.

A representative from the Food Standards Agency did not immediately return International Business Times' request for comment.

A salmonella outbreak in the UK in 1988 inspired the provision placed against vulnerable food groups. Edwina Currie, a former junior health minister, revealed to reporters that "most of the egg production" in the U.K. was affected by salmonella, according to BBC. Currie's announcement caused a drop in egg sales, but she doesn't regret her decision.

"I knew at the time that we had a very serious problem and we had a lot of people being taken to [the] hospital," Currie said Wednesday on BBC Radio Derby. "We had about 500 cases a week of people being so ill that they were taken to [the] hospital and had samples taken."

Currie added, "What would you do? Do you hide your head and pretend it isn't happening? That wasn't what I thought I could do."

Eggs are one of the healthiest foods for consumption. Eggs contain several nutrients, like Vitamin B12, and have been said to possess numerous health benefits, including improvement in cholesterol.

There are recommendations for individuals to safely eat raw or lightly cooked eggs. It's recommended to observe 'sell by' dates carefully, safely store eggs and maintain good hygiene habits in the kitchen such as avoiding cross-contamination.