Can I Eat Mayonnaise When Pregnant?

Can you eat mayonnaise when pregnant? The short answer: yes — shop-bought mayonnaise is safe in pregnancy. It is made with pasteurised eggs, which eliminates the salmonella risk that comes with raw egg products. Homemade mayonnaise is a different matter and is best avoided.

Quick Answer

Mayonnaise in pregnancy: shop-bought is safe

All major supermarket and brand mayonnaises sold in the UK are made with pasteurised eggs, making them safe to eat during pregnancy. The one to avoid is homemade mayonnaise made with raw, unpasteurised eggs.

Why Egg Safety Matters in Pregnancy

In the UK, most eggs sold in shops carry the British Lion mark, which means they come from hens vaccinated against salmonella. British Lion eggs are considered safe to eat runny or even raw during pregnancy. However, the safest approach with any raw egg product is to check whether pasteurised eggs have been used — and for shop-bought mayonnaise, they always are.

Pasteurisation is a heat treatment process that kills harmful bacteria without fully cooking the egg. This is why commercial mayonnaise — despite having a creamy, raw-egg texture — does not carry the same risk as a homemade version made with untreated eggs.

NHS Guidance on Mayonnaise

This guidance also applies to other commercially produced condiments containing egg, such as shop-bought Caesar dressing, hollandaise sauce from a jar, and aioli from a supermarket — all of which use pasteurised eggs. Restaurant-made sauces and dressings are less predictable, so it is worth asking if you are unsure.

Eating Mayonnaise Safely During Pregnancy

• Check the use-by date before eating. An opened jar of mayonnaise should be stored in the fridge and used within the time specified on the label — usually a few weeks once opened.
• Do not leave mayonnaise-based dishes sitting out at room temperature for extended periods. Potato salad, egg mayonnaise, and coleslaw should be kept chilled and not left out at buffets or in warm conditions for more than a couple of hours.
• At restaurants or cafes, mayonnaise served in individual sachets or from a commercial catering container is fine. If a restaurant makes its own aioli or mayonnaise in-house, ask whether pasteurised eggs are used — many do, but some do not.
• Homemade mayonnaise made with unpasteurised raw eggs should be avoided. If you want to make mayonnaise at home, use pasteurised eggs or a shop-bought version as your base.

Frequently Asked Questions

Try not to worry. The risk of becoming seriously ill from a single small amount of homemade mayonnaise is low. Watch out for symptoms of food poisoning in the following days — nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhoea, or a high temperature. If you feel unwell or develop a fever, contact your GP or call 111 and let them know you are pregnant so they can advise appropriately.

Is mayonnaise safe in all trimesters?

Yes — shop-bought mayonnaise made with pasteurised eggs is safe throughout all three trimesters. The same guidance applies from the first week of pregnancy through to the end. There is no trimester in which the rules around pasteurised versus unpasteurised eggs change.

Is Caesar dressing safe in pregnancy?

Shop-bought Caesar dressing is made with pasteurised eggs and is safe in pregnancy. Restaurant Caesar dressing is sometimes made in-house with raw eggs — it is worth asking your server whether the dressing is homemade or from a commercial product. Many restaurants use a commercial base, but it is always fine to check.

Always speak to your midwife or GP for personal advice about food safety in pregnancy.

Last reviewed: June 2026

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• Foods to Avoid in Pregnancy
• Pregnancy Vitamins
• Healthy Diet in Pregnancy