Duck School · Eggs
4 min guide
Are Duck Eggs Safe to Eat?
UK food-safety basics for enjoying, storing and cooking duck eggs.
Duck eggs are delicious for breakfasts and baking, but the UK food-safety advice is clear: treat them differently from hen eggs. Handle them hygienically and cook them thoroughly before eating.
Cook duck eggs thoroughly
Duck eggs should be cooked until the white and yolk are thoroughly cooked. Do not use them in raw or lightly cooked dishes, even when a recipe calls for a runny yolk.
Keep handling clean and simple
Wash and dry hands before and after handling eggs, shells and packaging. Keep raw egg away from ready-to-eat food, clean equipment and worktops after preparing eggs.
Do not use cracked, dirty or out-of-date eggs
Check the shell and the date before cooking. Do not use eggs that are cracked, damaged, dirty or past their best-before date. Keep supplied eggs in a cool, dry place, ideally refrigerated until use.
Quick answers
The questions people ask most.
Can you eat duck eggs with a runny yolk?
No. UK guidance says duck eggs should always be cooked thoroughly, rather than served raw or lightly cooked.
Can you eat duck eggs raw?
No. Avoid raw duck egg in drinks, mayonnaise, desserts or any other uncooked recipe. Use a pasteurised egg product where a recipe will not be fully cooked.
Can you use duck eggs in mayonnaise?
Only if the egg ingredient is pasteurised. Home-made mayonnaise made with raw duck egg is not a safe use.