Eggs: Storage, Freezing, Reheating and Pregnancy Answers

This page pulls together the 32 eggs answers on the site: how long it keeps, whether you can freeze it, whether you can reheat it, how long it can be left out, what the date on the label means, where it stands in pregnancy and what applies while breastfeeding. The table gives the short answer for each; the page behind each row gives the full reasoning, the source and the exceptions.

In pregnancy: Yes — eggs are safe during pregnancy. British Lion or 'Laid in Britain' eggs can even be eaten runny; other eggs should be cooked until firm.

Worth knowing: A whole egg's shell and natural inner membrane are a surprisingly good seal against bacteria, which is why fridge-stored eggs in their shell last weeks rather than days — far longer than almost any other protein in this fridge. Once that seal is broken — cracked, beaten, or cooked — the egg is exposed to air and bacteria directly, and its safe window drops sharply: Food Standards Scotland says hard-boiled eggs should be eaten within 2 days, not weeks.