What are those speckles on eggs you sometimes see? Are they safe to eat? Here's what you need to know.
If You See Spots or Bumps on Your Eggs, This Is What It Means
Updated on May 29, 2025
Whether you prefer fluffy scrambled eggs or you like them sunny side up, eggs are a staple in the American diet. Not only are they delicious paired with toast and coffee, eggs are packed full of nutrition. Eggs can help reduce cholesterol, lower the risk of heart disease and provide high-quality protein—and they’re low in calories! But some eggs may look a little different than others—and seeing speckles on eggs or a bumpy shell may deter you from eating them.
Reader’s Digest gets to the bottom of this disconcerting issue so you can feel good about eating them. Keep reading as we crack the code on specked eggs—before you crack your next one.
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What does it mean when you see speckles on eggs?
Speckles on eggs are created early in the egg-forming process, as the egg travels through the hen. Female chickens have an organ called an oviduct, which processes the yolk and adds the shell. As the egg passes through the oviduct, it spins. If it spins too slowly, the egg can come out looking speckled. In a 2023 study published in Poultry Science, researchers found that speckled eggs are the result of extra pigmentation, and that the speckles had no effect on eggshell quality.
What about bumpy eggs?
You may also notice a bumpy egg or two in the carton you just brought home from the grocery store. According to the University of Georgia Extension these bumps are calcium deposits, and they have a few causes. One is a defective shell gland, which is located in the oviduct. Too much calcium or vitamin D in the hens’ diets is another cause. Unlike speckled eggs, bumps do affect shell quality, and bumps larger than 1/8-inch can get the egg downgraded from Grade A to Grade B.
Are bumpy or speckled eggs safe to eat?
Yes. There is no need to discard eggs with either of these physical abnormalities. (It’s often even safe to eat expired eggs.) The most important issue surrounding egg safety is how you cook them, as eggs can be contaminated by salmonella. Pasteurization reduces your risk, and cooking eggs to 160 degrees kills the organisms.
Before you buy eggs, open the carton and look for cracks or broken eggs. To keep your eggs safe at home, store them in the refrigerator (though never in the door). For best quality, use them within three weeks of purchasing. If you come in contact with raw egg while you are cooking, make sure to thoroughly wash your hands, utensils and any surfaces the egg may have come into contact with.
Bottom line? Your bumpy and speckled eggs are perfectly safe to eat—they just have a little character.
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Sources
- Poultry Science: “Structural characteristics of speckled chicken eggshells and their effect on reproductive performance”
- University of Georgia Extension: “A Dozen Egg Abnormalities: How They Affect Egg Quality”
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: “What You Need to Know About Egg Safety”
- Healthline: “9 Benefits of Eggs”
