Meat verdicts in pregnancy follow three separate risks, and knowing which one applies makes every rule predictable. The first is toxoplasmosis: a parasite that can live inside raw, undercooked and cured muscle meat. Most adults shrug it off, but a first infection during pregnancy can harm the baby, which is why the NHS draws a hard line at raw and undercooked meat, and why curing, the salt-and-air method behind prosciutto, salami and jerky, does not count as cooking. Whole cuts of beef, lamb and pork want 145 F plus a rest; anything ground wants 160 F; poultry wants 165 F. Pink steak and rosy duck breast wait until after delivery.

The second risk is Listeria, and it targets the opposite end of the aisle: meats that are already cooked. Deli slices, ham, hot dogs, bologna, pastrami and pate are ready-to-eat products that sit in refrigeration for days, exactly where Listeria grows, and the CDC advises pregnant women to eat them only after reheating to steaming hot, about 165 F. This is the most counterintuitive rule in pregnancy eating: the sandwich meat that was fine your whole life needs a hot pan now, not because it is undercooked, but because of what can land on it after cooking.

The third risk is chemical and applies to exactly one food: liver. Its concentrated retinol, the animal form of vitamin A, can cause birth defects at high intakes, so liver and liver products including pate are a flat avoid, no cooking workaround. Add the NHS note that game shot with lead ammunition is best skipped, and the whole meat category resolves into one sentence: cook fresh meat to temperature, reheat ready-to-eat meat until steaming, and leave liver, raw preparations and uncookable cured snacks for later. Every verdict below cites the NHS, CDC or FDA guidance behind it.

Meat & charcuterie to skip (27)

• Beef Jerky⊗Not advised
• Pate⊗Not advised
• Liver⊗Not advised
• Steak Tartare⊗Not advised
• Medium Burger⊗Not advised
• Beef Carpaccio⊗Not advised
• Medium rare steak⊗Not advised
• Haggis⊗Not advised
• Mett⊗Not advised
• Kitfo⊗Not advised
• Foie gras⊗Not advised
• Liverwurst⊗Not advised
• Rillettes⊗Not advised
• Rare roast beef⊗Not advised
• Medium rare lamb⊗Not advised
• Rare duck breast⊗Not advised
• Medium rare pork⊗Not advised
• Undercooked chicken⊗Not advised
• Undercooked sausage⊗Not advised
• Yukhoe (Korean raw beef)⊗Not advised
• Basashi (raw horse meat)⊗Not advised
• Undercooked pork⊗Not advised
• Medium rare duck⊗Not advised
• Undercooked bacon⊗Not advised
• Homemade jerky⊗Not advised
• Rare pork⊗Not advised
• Rare venison⊗Not advised

Meat & charcuterie to check first (82)

• Deli MeatⓘCheck first
• Hot DogsⓘCheck first
• SalamiⓘCheck first
• SteakⓘCheck first
• HamⓘCheck first
• ProsciuttoⓘCheck first
• Rotisserie ChickenⓘCheck first
• LambⓘCheck first
• BurgersⓘCheck first
• BolognaⓘCheck first
• PastramiⓘCheck first
• Corned BeefⓘCheck first
• DuckⓘCheck first
• ShawarmaⓘCheck first
• KebabⓘCheck first
• Ground BeefⓘCheck first
• VenisonⓘCheck first
• Deli TurkeyⓘCheck first
• ChorizoⓘCheck first
• PepperoniⓘCheck first
• VealⓘCheck first
• BisonⓘCheck first
• BirriaⓘCheck first
• Al pastorⓘCheck first
• ChicharrónⓘCheck first
• KatsuⓘCheck first
• SatayⓘCheck first
• KibbehⓘCheck first
• Tandoori chickenⓘCheck first
• Corn dogⓘCheck first
• Sloppy joeⓘCheck first
• SlidersⓘCheck first
• Reuben SandwichⓘCheck first
• Beef WellingtonⓘCheck first
• Shepherd's PieⓘCheck first
• Black puddingⓘCheck first
• BarbacoaⓘCheck first
• SouvlakiⓘCheck first
• BulgogiⓘCheck first
• BresaolaⓘCheck first
• MortadellaⓘCheck first
• Jerk chickenⓘCheck first
• Char siuⓘCheck first
• Carne asadaⓘCheck first
• LarbⓘCheck first
• SuyaⓘCheck first
• CapicolaⓘCheck first
• SujukⓘCheck first
• KoftaⓘCheck first
• Lap cheongⓘCheck first
• BasturmaⓘCheck first
• FeijoadaⓘCheck first
• NdujaⓘCheck first
• BoudinⓘCheck first
• Andouille sausageⓘCheck first
• KielbasaⓘCheck first
• MerguezⓘCheck first
• SpeckⓘCheck first
• SoppressataⓘCheck first
• Jamón ibéricoⓘCheck first
• Head cheeseⓘCheck first
• YakitoriⓘCheck first
• CoppaⓘCheck first
• AndouilletteⓘCheck first
• Smoked turkeyⓘCheck first
• Leftover chickenⓘCheck first
• Serrano hamⓘCheck first
• Smoked brisketⓘCheck first
• Sous vide steakⓘCheck first
• Smoked duckⓘCheck first
• Summer sausageⓘCheck first
• Reheated chickenⓘCheck first
• Shabu shabuⓘCheck first
• Jamón serranoⓘCheck first
• ChitterlingsⓘCheck first
• Wild boarⓘCheck first
• SucukⓘCheck first
• DinuguanⓘCheck first
• PancettaⓘCheck first
• Saucisson secⓘCheck first
• PastirmaⓘCheck first
• GuancialeⓘCheck first

Meat & charcuterie to keep within limits (1)

• Spam☾In moderation

Safe meat & charcuterie (15)

• Bacon✓Safe
• Sausage✓Safe
• Pork Chops✓Safe
• Philly Cheesesteak✓Safe
• Buffalo Wings✓Safe
• Fried Chicken✓Safe
• Chicken Nuggets✓Safe
• Chicken✓Safe
• Turkey✓Safe
• BBQ Ribs✓Safe
• Chicken Fried Steak✓Safe
• Oxtail✓Safe
• Menudo✓Safe
• Cochinita pibil✓Safe
• Doro wat✓Safe

Frequently asked questions

Which meat & charcuterie are safe during pregnancy?

15 of the 125 listed on this page carry a safe verdict: Bacon, Sausage, Pork Chops, Philly Cheesesteak, Buffalo Wings, Fried Chicken, Chicken Nuggets, Chicken, Turkey, BBQ Ribs, Chicken Fried Steak and Oxtail. Each one links to the guidance it rests on.

Which meat & charcuterie should be avoided during pregnancy?

Beef Jerky, Pate, Liver, Steak Tartare, Medium Burger, Beef Carpaccio, Medium rare steak, Haggis, Mett, Kitfo, Foie gras, Liverwurst, Rillettes, Rare roast beef, Medium rare lamb, Rare duck breast, Medium rare pork, Undercooked chicken, Undercooked sausage, Yukhoe (Korean raw beef), Basashi (raw horse meat), Undercooked pork, Medium rare duck, Undercooked bacon, Homemade jerky, Rare pork and Rare venison. Each page names the specific hazard and what changes it, such as cooking until steaming hot or choosing a pasteurized version.

In-depth guides

• Foods to avoid during pregnancy: the complete sourced listThe complete sourced list, organized by the five risks that actually drive the rules.
• Deli meat during pregnancy: the steaming hot ruleOne bacterium, one temperature, and the three meats that heat cannot rescue.

Every verdict follows our sourcing methodology: official health guidelines only, most cautious position when they differ.

Last reviewed 2026-11-07 by the pregAI editorial team.

Browse all foods: can I eat this while pregnant?

pregAI is informational only and is not medical advice. Always check with your doctor or midwife about anything specific to your pregnancy.