Consumer

Important advice about duck eggs
14 September 2010

This advice applies to duck eggs, only. Please see below for advice about cooking hen eggs.

Due to a Salmonella outbreak that has been linked to duck eggs in the Republic of Ireland, duck eggs should only be eaten if they are fully cooked, until both the white and the yolk are solid. Dishes containing duck egg should be cooked until they are piping hot all the way through. Raw duck eggs, or dishes containing raw duck egg should not be eaten.

When handling duck eggs, always make sure that hands, surfaces and utensils that come in contact with raw duck eggs are washed thoroughly in warm soapy water, to prevent any Salmonella present from spreading to other foods.

Eggs should be stored in the fridge and kept separate from ready-to-eat foods.

For more information, please visit the Food Safety Authority website: Largest Outbreak in Recent Years Linked to Salmonella in Duck Eggs 

Eating eggs raw or with runny yolks, can cause food poisoning especially for babies, toddlers, pregnant women or people who are unwell. Eggs that have not been cooked thoroughly can contain harmful bacteria which are most likely to make these groups of people seriously ill from food poisoning. Here are some tips for cooking eggs safely:

If you are cooking eggs for anyone in these groups, make sure that they are cooked thoroughly until the yolk is solid as this will kill any bacteria.

You should also avoid giving people in these groups any food containing raw or lightly cooked egg, such as:

• Home-made mayonnaise
• Béarnaise and hollandaise sauces
• Ice cream
• Icing
• Mousse
• Some desserts

If you are cooking a dish containing eggs, make sure you cook it until the food is piping hot all the way through.

When you buy commercially produced mayonnaise, salad dressings, sauces, ice cream, desserts, or ready-made icing in the supermarket, these will almost always have been made using pasteurised egg and are therefore safe to eat because pasteurisation kills bacteria. Check the label but ask if you're not sure.

Finally, if you're not sure whether a food contains raw egg when you are eating out, ask the person serving you.