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Egg Allergy
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These FAQs attempt to answer questions that you might have about egg allergy.

The questions are listed below. To get the answer to a question that interests you, simply click on it.


Can a person who is allergic to raw eggs eat cooked eggs?
Usually not. Egg white is only slightly modified by heat, making it allergenic whether raw or cooked. Egg yolk is substantially altered by heat and it can be tolerated by some people if it is well cooked. Sometimes when the allergy becomes less severe, a person can eat cooked eggs and still react to raw eggs.
Can someone allergic to egg whites still eat the yolk?
The egg white is the component which causes the most severe reactions. However, it is very difficult to separate the white from the yolk without having some parts of each combine. Even extremely small amounts can trigger severe reactions.
Can a person with egg allergies eat chicken?
Yes, most of the time. Generally the antibodies that react to eggs identify chicken as "non-egg" and chicken can be eaten safely. In rare cases, the antibodies find a similarity between the protein structure of chicken and eggs, a child can react to both.
If a parent is allergic to eggs, will a child be, too?
A child's risk of developing food allergies is strongly influenced by the family's history of allergies. Children without an allergic parent have a 15% risk of developing allergies. When one parent is allergic, the risk increases 20% to 40%. When both parents are allergic, a child has a 40% to 60% risk of developing an allergy. A child does not usually inherit a specific food allergy, but rather the tendency to be allergic.