Goose egg: a big egg studied mostly through hens

A meta-analysis of 6 randomized trials in 3,032 infants found that introducing egg at 3 to 6 months lowered the risk of egg allergy by 40 percent (RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.82), with low to moderate certainty and with hen's eggs only. Those trials say nothing about goose egg as a first egg for a baby, and we have no card on goose eggs for infants. Almost everything known about eating goose eggs borrows from hen studies like that one. What has been measured on the goose egg itself is mostly size and fat. One cooked goose egg weighs about 5.1 oz (144 g) in the US survey database and carries roughly 1150 mg of cholesterol, a per-egg figure recalculated from the 100 g value. Per 100 g it gives 224 calories, 12.9 g of protein and 18.1 g of fat, from a single database value with no spread. We found no study of Salmonella in goose eggs, of how well their protein is absorbed, or of what eating them does to blood cholesterol. FDA advice on eggs in general, which does not name goose eggs, is to cook eggs until both yolk and white are firm, and it names children among those at greater risk of severe illness.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• Per 100 g, cooked goose egg provides 224 calories, 12.9 g protein, 18.1 g fat and 799 mg cholesterol in the US survey database. — FNDDS Goose egg, cooked (31202000) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: energy 224 calories; protein 12.94 g; fat 18.09 g; cholesterol 799 mg; vitamin B12 3.8 ug; selenium 34.4 ug
• A 2025 laboratory comparison of six goose breeds found goose eggs heavier, with thicker shells and a higher yolk index than chicken, duck, pigeon or quail eggs. — Eggs of six geographically indicated Chinese goose breeds (n = 6 breeds) Evidence D source
  Largest weight, thickest shell, highest yolk index among poultry eggs compared

What a real portion looks like

• One goose egg weighs about 5.1 oz (144 g) in the US survey database and carries roughly 1150 mg of cholesterol. — FNDDS Goose egg, cooked (31202000) Evidence E source
  1 egg 144 g; cholesterol 1150.6 mg per egg

What your body absorbs

• In a crossover RCT in 16 young men, adding 5.3 oz (150 g) of cooked whole egg to a raw salad raised alpha-tocopherol absorption about eightfold versus salad alone. — 16 healthy young men, mean age 24 (n = 16) Evidence B source
  Alpha-tocopherol AUC 981 vs 117 nmol/L x 10 h (high egg vs no egg)

What cooking and storage change

• A case report describes a 75-year-old woman with repeated reactions after hard-boiled goose eggs who tested positive to raw goose and duck egg white but tolerated hen's eggs. — One 75-year-old woman without atopic history, Italy (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Prick-to-prick positive: raw duck egg white 8 mm, raw goose egg white 6 mm; negative for cooked duck and goose egg and for hen and quail eggs
• In a small RCT of 27 at-risk infants, all who ate baked egg daily for 6 months tolerated boiled egg, versus 47% of those avoiding egg. — 27 infants under 6 months with cow's milk allergy and/or atopic dermatitis (n = 27) Evidence B source
  Boiled egg tolerance: daily baked egg group all tolerant vs 47.4% egg-free (p = 0.012)
• A meta-analysis of 29 studies of egg ladders for egg-allergic children found tolerance in 69% but allergic reactions in 21%, with very low certainty of evidence. — Children with IgE-mediated milk or egg allergy, 29 studies (n = 29 studies) Evidence C source
  Egg ladder: tolerance 69%, any reaction 21%, epinephrine use 3%

Safety, limits and interactions

• The US FDA egg safety rule against Salmonella Enteritidis defines an egg as that of the domesticated chicken, so goose eggs fall outside it. — 21 CFR 118.3, Production, storage, and transportation of shell eggs Evidence E source
  Goose eggs not covered by the on-farm Salmonella Enteritidis prevention rule

Who this works differently for

• A meta-analysis of 6 RCTs in 3,032 infants found introducing egg at 3 to 6 months lowered the risk of egg allergy by 40%. — Infants in 6 RCTs, early (3-6 months) vs no early egg introduction (n = 3032) Evidence A source
  RR 0.60 (95% CI 0.44-0.82); 37 fewer cases per 1,000
• FDA advises storing eggs in a refrigerator at 40 F or below, cooking them until both yolk and white are firm and cooking egg dishes to 160 F, and names children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems as at greater risk of severe illness. — US consumers, with children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems named as at greater risk Evidence E source
  Refrigerate at 40 F or below, cook until yolk and white are firm, egg dishes to 160 F

The bottom line

A 2025 laboratory comparison of six Chinese goose breeds found goose eggs heavier, with thicker shells and a higher yolk index than chicken, duck, pigeon or quail eggs, though its abstract gives no numbers. One hen's egg trial looked at eggs eaten with other food. In a crossover trial in 16 young men, adding 5.3 oz (150 g) of cooked whole hen's egg to a raw salad raised the 10-hour vitamin E response in the blood about eightfold against salad alone (981 against 117 nmol/L x 10 h). Nobody has tested whether the fattier goose egg does the same. Who should be careful. The US FDA rule that prevents Salmonella Enteritidis on egg farms defines an egg as the egg of the domesticated chicken, so goose eggs fall outside it. That is a statement about the rule's scope and does not measure risk, and it is not a sign that goose eggs are safer to eat raw or runny. FDA advice on eggs in general, which does not name goose eggs, is to keep them in a refrigerator at 40 F or below, cook them until both yolk and white are firm and cook dishes containing eggs to 160 F. It names children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems as at greater risk of severe illness. A case report from Italy describes a 75-year-old woman with repeated reactions after hard-boiled goose eggs. Her skin tests were positive to raw goose and duck egg white and negative to hen and quail eggs, and, oddly for a reaction to boiled eggs, negative to cooked goose egg too. For children already allergic to egg, the data are hen's egg and thin. In a randomized trial of 27 at-risk infants, all who ate baked egg daily for 6 months later tolerated boiled egg, against 47.4 percent of those kept off egg, with randomization applied only to babies who already tolerated baked egg. A meta-analysis of 29 studies of egg ladders reported tolerance in 69 percent and allergic reactions in 21 percent of children, at very low certainty and high risk of bias. Those are clinical protocols, run by whoever manages the child's allergy. Beyond that general FDA advice, we have no card on goose eggs in pregnancy or alongside medicines, and none on goose egg as a first egg for a baby.

Sources

1. gegg-daily-r5-01 · dataset
   Goose egg, cooked (fdc_id 2707177), per 100 g: Energy 224 KCAL; Protein 12.94 G; Total lipid (fat) 18.09 G; Cholesterol 799 MG; Vitamin B-12 3.8 UG; Selenium, Se 34.4 UG
   USDA FoodData Central, FNDDS survey foods, release 2024-10-31 · checked 2026-10-01
2. gegg-daily-r5-04 · composition analysis
   Among poultry eggs (chicken, duck, pigeon, and quail), goose eggs possess the largest weight, thickest shells, and highest yolk index, enhancing their durability for long-distance transport.
   Food Chemistry, 2025 · checked 2026-10-01
3. gegg-daily-r5-02 · dataset
   Goose egg, cooked (fdc_id 2707177): 1 egg 144 g; Cholesterol 1150.6 MG per 1 egg
   USDA FoodData Central, FNDDS survey foods, release 2024-10-31 · checked 2026-10-01
4. gegg-daily-r5-08 · RCT
   The α-tocopherol 0- to 10-h AUCs (AUCs0-10 h) in TRLs was higher (P < 0.05) for the HE trial (least-squares mean ± SE: 981 ± 162 nmol/L ⋅ 10 h) than for the LE (311 ± 162 nmol/L ⋅ 10 h) and CON (117 ± 162 nmol/L ⋅10 h) trials
   J Nutr, 2016 · checked 2026-10-01
5. gegg-daily-r5-03 · case report
   experiencing a reaction ~ 7 months earlier, triggered by the ingestion of hard-boiled goose eggs. ... Prick-to-prick testing was positive to raw duck egg white (average wheal size of 8 mm) and raw goose egg white (average wheal size of 6 mm), while it was negative for cooked duck egg and goose egg white and yolk, as well as for raw and cooked hen and quail egg white and yolk (Figure 2).
   Allergol Select, 2026 · checked 2026-10-01
6. gegg-daily-r5-07 · RCT
   There were 27 patients in all. Those who ate baked egg daily for 6 months tolerated boiled eggs and only 47.4% of patients who followed an egg-free diet tolerated boiled eggs (P-value 0.012).
   Allergol Immunopathol (Madr), 2025 · checked 2026-10-01
7. gegg-daily-r5-09 · meta-analysis
   Tolerance occurred in 69% of EL, 58% of ML, 49% of BE-OIT, and 29% of BM-OIT patients. All-severity allergic reactions occurred in 21% of EL, 25% of ML, 20% of BE-OIT, and 61% of BM-OIT patients
   J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract, 2024 · checked 2026-10-01
8. gegg-daily-r5-05 · regulation
   Shell egg (or egg) means the egg of the domesticated chicken.
   21 CFR 118.3, Definitions (FDA egg safety rule) · checked 2026-10-01
9. gegg-daily-r5-06 · meta-analysis
   A low to moderate level of evidence showed a benefit of the early introduction of egg (relative risk, RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.44-0.82, p = 0.002, mild heterogeneity, I2 = 23%).
   Int Arch Allergy Immunol, 2018 · checked 2026-10-01
10. sf-eggsafe-r6-goose-1 · agency advice
    Store promptly in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 40° F or below...Cook eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm...Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160° F...Certain people are at greater risk for severe illness and include children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems (such as transplant patients and individuals with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and diabetes).
    US Food and Drug Administration, What You Need to Know About Egg Safety · checked 2026-10-08