Are Pasteurized Eggs Healthier for You?

December 18, 2025 •

4 min read

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in 20,000 raw eggs are infected with salmonella, prompting many to ask: are pasteurized eggs healthier than their conventional counterparts? This question delves into more than just nutrition, exploring safety, flavor, and culinary uses for both vulnerable populations and home cooks.

Quick Summary

Pasteurized eggs are heat-treated to eliminate pathogens like salmonella, making them a safer choice for raw and undercooked applications, especially for vulnerable populations. The nutritional profile remains nearly identical to regular eggs.

Key Points

Enhanced Safety: Pasteurized eggs are heat-treated to eliminate harmful bacteria like Salmonella, making them the safest choice for raw or undercooked egg recipes.
Identical Nutrition: The nutritional content of a pasteurized egg is virtually identical to that of a regular egg, with no significant loss of vitamins, protein, or minerals.
Vulnerable Populations: They are highly recommended for young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems to prevent foodborne illness.
Minor Texture Changes: Pasteurized egg whites may be slightly runnier, which can affect whipping time for meringues and other foamy recipes, though this can be managed with stabilizers.
Versatile and Convenient: They can be used interchangeably with regular eggs in most cooked dishes and are a convenient, low-risk option for raw preparations like homemade mayonnaise.
Taste Is Largely Unchanged: Most people cannot detect a difference in taste, and any flavor nuances are typically described as minimal or barely noticeable.

Understanding the Pasteurization Process

Pasteurization is a heat-treatment process designed to kill harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella, without cooking the food. For eggs, this process can be applied to both in-shell eggs and liquid egg products. The technology ensures that the eggs remain in a raw state, making them safe for consumption in uncooked or lightly cooked recipes where raw eggs would typically pose a risk.

In-Shell Egg Pasteurization

This method involves submerging whole eggs in a precise, temperature-controlled water bath. This gentle heating kills bacteria that might be present on or inside the egg. Commercially pasteurized in-shell eggs are often stamped with a special mark, like a 'P' in a circle, and coated with a protective food-grade wax to maintain freshness. The commercial process is highly regulated and difficult to replicate safely at home.

Liquid Egg Product Pasteurization

All egg products sold without their shells, including cartons of liquid egg whites, yolks, or whole eggs, are required by the USDA to be pasteurized. The liquid egg is heated to a specific temperature for a set time, effectively eliminating bacteria before being packaged and refrigerated. This offers maximum convenience and safety for food service and home use.

Safety as the Primary Health Benefit

The most significant advantage of pasteurized eggs is food safety. The risk of contracting a foodborne illness from Salmonella is significantly reduced, which is especially important when using eggs in uncooked dishes like mayonnaise, hollandaise, or Caesar salad dressing. While the overall risk of an infected egg is relatively low, pasteurization provides peace of mind and is a crucial safeguard for specific demographics.

Protecting Vulnerable Populations

Certain groups are at a much higher risk for severe illness from Salmonella infection. This includes:

Pregnant women
Young children
The elderly
Individuals with compromised immune systems

For these populations, public health authorities, including the FDA and USDA, recommend using pasteurized eggs whenever a recipe calls for raw or undercooked eggs. This practice is standard in many institutions, such as hospitals and nursing homes.

Nutritional Value: A Side-by-Side Look

From a nutritional standpoint, pasteurized eggs are nearly identical to regular, unpasteurized eggs. The pasteurization process does not meaningfully alter the protein, fat, vitamins, or mineral content of the egg. Both provide high-quality protein, essential vitamins like B12 and D, and minerals such as selenium. Any negligible changes in nutrient availability are outweighed by the significant safety benefits.

There is some evidence suggesting that protein absorption from raw eggs may be lower than from cooked eggs, but this applies to both pasteurized and unpasteurized varieties. The heating process in cooking helps the body absorb protein more efficiently. Additionally, raw egg whites contain avidin, a protein that can block biotin absorption; however, this is destroyed during both cooking and pasteurization.

Culinary Impact: Taste, Texture, and Cooking

Some home cooks notice minor differences in taste and texture when using pasteurized eggs, though many report little to no change.

Flavor: While some reports mention a slight, barely detectable flavor change, many taste tests fail to distinguish between pasteurized and regular eggs.
Texture: Pasteurized egg whites may have a slightly runnier consistency due to the heat affecting their protein structure. This can make whipping them to stiff peaks for meringues or soufflés more challenging and time-consuming. Using a stabilizer like cream of tartar can help.
Overall Use: For most cooking and baking, pasteurized eggs can be used interchangeably with regular eggs without significant issues.

Comparison Table: Regular vs. Pasteurized Eggs


Feature	Regular (Unpasteurized) Eggs	Pasteurized Eggs
Safety Risk	Low but present risk of Salmonella contamination.	Virtually no risk of Salmonella or other foodborne bacteria.
Best for...	Thoroughly cooked dishes (scrambled, fried, baked).	Raw or lightly cooked recipes (mayonnaise, mousse, eggnog).
Nutritional Value	High in protein, vitamins, and minerals.	Identical high nutritional value.
Protein Absorption	Can be less efficient in raw form; improved by cooking.	Can be less efficient in raw form; improved by cooking.
Texture for Whipping	Whites whip to stiff peaks easily and consistently.	Whites may be runnier and require longer whipping time or stabilizers.
Taste	Standard, classic egg flavor.	Some perceive a slight, though often negligible, difference.

Conclusion: Are Pasteurized Eggs Healthier?

Yes, from a food safety perspective, pasteurized eggs are healthier. The pasteurization process effectively eliminates the risk of Salmonella, making them the safest choice for any recipe requiring raw or undercooked eggs, particularly for vulnerable individuals. Nutritionally, pasteurized eggs offer the same excellent profile as regular eggs. For most standard cooking where eggs are fully cooked, regular eggs are perfectly safe. The choice ultimately depends on your culinary needs and risk tolerance. For uncooked preparations, opting for pasteurized eggs is a simple, effective step to maximize safety without compromising on nutritional quality. For more information on egg safety and handling, consult the official FoodSafety.gov guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Most people report little to no difference in taste between pasteurized and regular eggs. Any perceived flavor changes are typically very subtle and are not an issue for the majority of consumers and culinary applications.

Yes, commercially pasteurized eggs are safe to eat raw or undercooked because the heat treatment process kills any potentially harmful bacteria like Salmonella. This makes them the ideal choice for recipes like Caesar dressing or homemade mayonnaise.

Pasteurized eggs, both in-shell and as liquid products, can be found in the refrigerated section of many major supermarkets. Liquid egg products are common, while in-shell pasteurized eggs may be available from specific brands or in larger stores.

No, pasteurization does not significantly alter the nutritional profile of an egg. Both pasteurized and regular eggs offer the same high-quality protein, vitamins, and minerals.

While it is technically possible to attempt home pasteurization using methods like a sous vide machine, experts advise against it. Commercial pasteurization is a highly regulated and precise process that is difficult to replicate consistently and safely without specialized equipment.

The shelf life of pasteurized eggs, like regular eggs, requires refrigeration. The pasteurization process can increase the shelf life slightly compared to unpasteurized eggs, but it's important to check the 'best by' date on the packaging and follow all storage instructions.

Yes, by law in the United States, all egg products that have been removed from their shells, such as liquid eggs sold in cartons, must be pasteurized.