Quail egg: a tiny egg with a supplement reputation

The quail egg studies that people quote are about a supplement. In a crossover trial in 43 healthy adults, one dose of a proprietary quail egg blend developed by its sponsor gave mean nasal airflow of 121.7 against 117.6 L/min on placebo in the two hours after an allergen challenge, in a per-protocol analysis. A systematic review found five reports, with 40 to 180 people each, all using one commercial quail egg and zinc product, and it pooled no effect size and asked for more research. Zinc sits in the same tablet, so the egg part cannot be separated out. As food, per 3.5 oz (100 g) raw, UK tables give 151 calories, 12.9 g protein, 11.1 g fat, 900 mg cholesterol and 3.70 mg iron, from a single record with no spread.

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 raw, quail egg gives 151 calories, 12.9 g protein, 11.1 g fat and 900 mg cholesterol, with 3.70 mg iron. — CoFID 2021 record 12-815 Eggs, quail, whole, raw (n = 1 CoFID record) Evidence E source
  151 calories, protein 12.9 g, fat 11.1 g, cholesterol 900 mg, iron 3.70 mg, riboflavin 0.79 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• In laying quail, weekly retinyl palmitate in feed raised egg yolk retinol up to 384% above control without changing yolk cholesterol. — Laying quail given 600 to 4800 ug retinyl palmitate weekly for 4 weeks (n = not stated in abstract) Evidence D source
  Yolk retinol up to 384% higher than control; cholesterol not significantly altered
• In 80 laying quail, 75 mg/kg karaya saponin in feed for 6 weeks lowered cholesterol and triglycerides in egg yolk. — 80 Japanese quails aged 5 weeks, 4 groups of 20, 6 weeks (n = 80) Evidence D source
  Significant reduction in yolk cholesterol and triglycerides at 75 mg/kg, p < 0.05; magnitude not in abstract
• In 120 laying quail fed up to 20% hemp seed for 6 weeks, linoleic and linolenic acid in eggs rose linearly with the hemp seed share. — 120 laying quail aged 8 weeks, 0 to 20% hemp seed diets, 6 weeks (n = 120) Evidence D source
  Linear increase of linoleic and linolenic acids in eggs, p < 0.01; lower palmitoleic and oleic acids

What a real portion looks like

• The US food survey counts one quail egg as 9 g, so about five to six quail eggs weigh as much as one 50 g hen egg. — USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, Quail egg, canned (31203000) (n = 1 FNDDS record) Evidence E source
  1 egg 9 g; quantity not specified 18 g

What cooking and storage change

• Boiling quail and hen egg white for 15 minutes left the ovomucoid allergen bands strongly stained while ovalbumin bands weakened, suggesting ovomucoid antigenicity survives boiling. — Raw and water-boiled hen and quail egg white extracts, SDS-PAGE Evidence D source
  Ovomucoid stable after 15 min boiling; ovalbumin weakened; transferrin and lysozyme undetectable

Safety, limits and interactions

• A global meta-analysis of 15 studies found Salmonella in 2.09% and E. coli in 10.38% of quail eggs, and all E. coli isolates in a Lima sample were multidrug resistant. — 15 international studies 2000-2025 plus 125 quail eggs from Lima (n = 15 studies; 125 eggs) Evidence C source
  Salmonella 2.09% (0.00-7.75); E. coli 10.38% (2.34-22.63); Lima E. coli 1.6%

What people believe that the data does not support

• In an RCT of 40 patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis, adding quail egg and zinc tablets to mometasone spray for four weeks reduced nasal symptom scores more than the spray alone. — Forty patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis, 4 weeks (n = 40) Evidence B source
  Greater reduction in nasal itching, sneezing and total nasal symptom scores; more patients with good rhinitis control; numbers not in abstract
• In a crossover RCT of 43 healthy adults given one dose of a quail egg blend before an allergen challenge, mean nasal inspiratory flow over 120 minutes was 121.7 versus 117.6 with placebo. — 43 healthy subjects aged 20 to 58, single dose with standardized allergenic challenge (n = 43) Evidence B source
  PNIF 121.7 vs 117.6 L/min over 0-120 min, P = 0.0107; no difference in total IgE

Who this works differently for

• In 12 young children with hen egg white allergy, skin prick tests and food challenges showed cross-reactivity to boiled quail egg white in 5 (41.7%). — 12 children with hen egg white allergy, median age 2.5 years (n = 12) Evidence C source
  Cross-reactivity to boiled quail egg white 41.7% (5/12); to stone-baked hen egg white 16.7% (2/12)
• A case report describes a patient allergic to quail egg who had no reaction in an oral food challenge with hen egg white. — One adult patient (n = 1) Evidence D source
  Quail egg allergy with tolerance of hen egg white
• 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

What is still unknown

• A systematic review found five reports, trials of 40 to 180 people, on quail egg supplements with zinc for allergic rhinitis, and called for further research to confirm them. — Five clinical reports, participants 40 to 180 (median 77), allergic rhinitis or atopic individuals (n = five reports) Evidence B source
  Improved nasal flow and symptoms with quail egg supplement plus zinc; no pooled effect size

The bottom line

One quail egg weighs 9 g in the US survey, so five to six make up one 50 g hen egg, with the caveat that the only record is for canned quail eggs. In a separate trial, 40 people with seasonal allergic rhinitis who added quail egg and zinc tablets to a mometasone spray for four weeks had a larger drop in itching, sneezing and total nasal symptoms than those on the spray alone. The abstract gives no numbers. Quail egg and zinc tablets are dietary supplements, which in the US the FDA does not approve as medicines before they are sold. Anyone who takes medicine for allergy, is pregnant or has a long-term condition should talk to a doctor before taking them. What goes into the bird shapes the yolk. In feeding experiments on laying quail, vitamin A added to feed raised yolk retinol up to 384 percent above control, and hemp seed raised linoleic and linolenic acid in step with its share of the diet. These are animal studies of feed, and shop eggs are not produced that way. We found no study on how well people absorb anything from quail eggs. Who should be careful. Quail egg is not a safe swap for a child with hen egg allergy. Among 12 children with hen egg white allergy, skin tests and challenges showed cross-reactivity to quail egg white in 5 (41.7 percent), though only 4 of them had a quail egg challenge. Boiling does not settle it. In a lab gel, the ovomucoid allergen of both eggs survived 15 minutes of boiling, a laboratory finding rather than a feeding result. The reverse also happens: one case report describes a patient allergic to quail egg who tolerated hen egg white. Across 15 studies worldwide, Salmonella turned up in 2.09 percent of quail eggs and E. coli in 10.38 percent, with very large differences between studies. The FDA advice on eggs in general, which does not name quail eggs, is to store them in a refrigerator at 40 F or below, cook them until both yolk and white are firm, and cook egg dishes to 160 F. It names children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems as at greater risk of severe illness. Raw or soft-cooked quail eggs do not meet that firm-yolk step.

Sources

1. qeg8-daily-r8-01 · reference dataset
   CoFID 12-815 Eggs, quail, whole, raw: Energy 151 kcal, Protein 12.9 g, Fat 11.1 g, Cholesterol 900.0 mg, Iron 3.70 mg, Riboflavin 0.79 mg per 100 g
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England / OGL v3.0 · checked 2026-09-29
2. qeg8-daily-r8-03 · animal study
   The results showed a progressive increase in the incorporation of retinol into the egg yolk in response to supplementation, reaching values 384% higher than control values.
   Br Poult Sci, 2008 · checked 2026-09-29
3. qeg8-daily-r8-04 · animal study
   The results revealed that the supplementation of 75 mg/kg karaya saponin significantly reduced (p < 0.05) cholesterol and triglycerides concentration in serum and egg yolk.
   J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl), 2011 · checked 2026-09-29
4. qeg8-daily-r8-05 · animal study
   In experiment II, the linoleic and linolenic FA contents of egg samples were linearly increased with increasing the dietary HS ratio (p < 0.01).
   J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl), 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
5. qeg8-daily-r8-02 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2707178 Quail egg, canned, code 31203000 - 1 egg 9 g, Quantity not specified 18 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023 · checked 2026-09-29
6. qeg8-daily-r8-10 · in vitro study
   The presence of strongly stained bands for ovomucoid suggests that the antigenicity of ovomucoid of HEw and QEw remained stable during boiling. Conversely, the bands for ovalbumin became weakened by boiling.
   Nutrients, 2021 · checked 2026-09-29
7. qeg8-daily-r8-11 · meta-analysis of prevalence studies
   Salmonella spp. was absent locally (95% CrI: 0-1.52), consistent with the low global pooled prevalence of 2.09% (95% CI: 0.00-7.75), although high heterogeneity was observed (I2 = 96.6%, p < 0.0001). Conversely, E. coli was isolated from 1.6% (95% CrI: 0.33-5.03) of local eggs, sitting below the global pooled average of 10.38% (95% CI: 2.34-22.63; I2 = 94%, p < 0.0001),
   Prev Vet Med, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
8. qeg8-daily-r8-06 · randomized controlled trial
   The mometasone + quail egg and zinc tablets group showed a greater reduction in nasal itching, sneezing and total nasal symptom scores than the mometasone nasal spray only group.
   J Laryngol Otol, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
9. qeg8-daily-r8-07 · randomized crossover trial
   From the PP analysis, a significant difference occurred in PNIF for the 0–120 min postchallenge period (P = 0.0107). The overall means were 121.7 versus 117.6 for active and placebo, respectively.
   Food Science & Nutrition, 2014 · checked 2026-09-29
10. qeg8-daily-r8-09 · diagnostic study
    The SPT and/or OFC results showed cross-reactivity in 41.7% (5/12) of the patients.
    Nutrients, 2021 · checked 2026-09-29
11. qeg8-daily-r8-12 · case report
    This paper describes a rare patient with quail egg allergy, which manifested no allergic reactions after oral food challenge with hen's egg white.
    Iran J Allergy Asthma Immunol, 2020 · checked 2026-09-29
12. sf-eggsafe-r6-quail-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
13. qeg8-daily-r8-08 · systematic review
    A total of 294 studies were initially identified, with five clinical reports meeting the inclusion criteria. Participant numbers ranged from 40 to 180 (median: 77), with a balanced gender ratio. ... Further research is recommended to confirm these findings.
    Nutrients, 2025 · checked 2026-09-29