Eating meat during pregnancy

The NHS advises that pre-cooked, pre-packaged meat such as ham and corned beef are safe to eat in pregnancy¹.

You should be cautious eating any cold cured meat during pregnancy like salami, chorizo, pepperoni and Parma ham as they are just cured and fermented, rather than cooked. This means they could contain toxoplasmosis-causing parasites.

Freezing cold cured meat for four days before eating or cooking them thoroughly, like pepperoni on an oven-baked pizza, will kill most parasites, making the meat safer to eat².

Pork, similarly to poultry and red meat, should not be eaten raw or undercooked. If you’re making a pork pie from scratch, be sure to cook the meat thoroughly, so it’s steaming hot with no trace of pink or blood. If you’re buying a pork pie, as long as the meat is pre-cooked it should be safe to eat¹.

You can safely eat beef during pregnancy as long as it’s cooked thoroughly until it’s steaming hot with no trace of pink or blood. It’s not recommended to eat rare or undercooked beef¹. Beef is a good source of protein during pregnancy and is  recommended to be included as part of a healthy pregnancy diet.

Yes, just make sure that any smoked meat, such as smoked bacon or smoked ham, is cooked thoroughly with no trace of pink or blood.

The NHS recommends that you should avoid all types of pâté, including vegetable pâtés¹, as it can contain listeria. Listeria can cause a rare infection called Listeriosis, which if left untreated, can lead to miscarriage².

Liver contains a lot of vitamin A, which in high doses, can harm your unborn baby. It’s best to avoid eating liver and all products containing liver like pâté, sausages or haggis¹. Learn more about Vitamin A in pregnancy.

Poultry such as chicken is high in protein and other essential vitamins and minerals³, Like other meat, it’s important to cook poultry thoroughly so it’s steaming hot with no traces of pink or blood.