A three-decade-long fear of salmonella bacteria in eggs has been eased by new advice of the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA).
The watchdog said even vulnerable individuals, such as infants, pregnant women and the elderly, can now safely enjoy runny and raw eggs if they bear the British Lion Mark.
The new advice comes almost 30 years after a major salmonella outbreak in the UK and is based on scientific evidence that suggest British Lion Mark eggs have a very low risk of spreading infections.
Previously, the FSA advised those who are vulnerable to infections to avoid raw and soft boiled eggs because they could carry the harmful bacteria.
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But the regulator has now found that the risk of salmonella poisoning from Lion Mark eggs, which make up 90% of eggs on the UK market, was "dramatically reduced".
A report published by the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) in July last year said the risks were "very low" for eggs which had been produced according to the British Lion code.
FSA chairwoman Heather Hancock said: "It's good news that now even vulnerable groups can safely eat UK eggs without needing to hard-boil them, so long as they bear the British Lion mark.
"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.
"The major reduction in the risk of salmonella in Lion eggs is testament to the work carried out by egg producers. The measures they've taken, from vaccination of hens through to improving hygiene on farms and better transportation, have dramatically reduced salmonella levels in UK hens."
The revised advice does not apply to severely immunocompromised individuals who need medically supervised diets prescribed by health professionals.
The continuing advice on UK eggs that do not carry the Lion mark, non-hen eggs and eggs from outside the UK is that they should always be cooked thoroughly for vulnerable people.
Fears over salmonella peaked in the late 1980s when two million chickens were slaughtered and pregnant women were told to avoid undercooked eggs.
In 1988 Edwina Currie, then a junior health minister, said most egg production in Britain was infected with salmonella. Her comments sparked a public outcry and two weeks later she was forced to resign.
By early 1989 the link between eggs and salmonella poisoning was proved beyond doubt.
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