Can I Eat Raw Meat When Pregnant?

No — raw and undercooked meat should be avoided throughout pregnancy. This includes rare steaks, pink burgers, cured or dried meats such as salami and prosciutto, raw mince, steak tartare, and carpaccio. The risk is not about the meat itself but about the pathogens that can survive in meat that has not been cooked through to a safe internal temperature.

Quick Answer

Raw meat in pregnancy: No

Avoid all raw, undercooked, or pink meat during pregnancy. Cook all meat until steaming hot with no pink remaining and juices running clear.

Why Raw Meat Is Risky in Pregnancy
Which Meats to Avoid
NHS Guidance
How to Cook Meat Safely
Frequently Asked Questions

Why Raw Meat Is Risky in Pregnancy

Pregnancy changes how your immune system works. To prevent your body from rejecting the baby, your immune response is naturally dampened — which means you are more vulnerable to foodborne illness, and infections that would cause mild discomfort in a non-pregnant person can be significantly more serious.

The main risks from raw or undercooked meat are:

Toxoplasmosis — caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which can be present in raw or undercooked meat (particularly lamb, pork, and venison). In pregnancy, toxoplasmosis can cross the placenta and in rare cases cause serious harm to the baby, including problems with the brain and eyes. The infection often causes no symptoms in the mother.
Listeria (Listeria monocytogenes) — a bacterium that can survive in cold, low-oxygen environments. Listeriosis in pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, preterm birth, or serious illness in the newborn. Symptoms in the mother may resemble mild flu.
Salmonella and E. coli — bacteria commonly associated with undercooked poultry and mince. While they do not cross the placenta, the resulting food poisoning can cause severe dehydration and may trigger early contractions.
Campylobacter — one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the UK, usually linked to undercooked poultry.

Which Meats to Avoid

Steer clear of the following throughout your pregnancy:

Rare or medium-rare steak, lamb chops, or pork (whole cuts should be cooked until juices run clear; the NHS advises that whole cuts of beef and lamb are lower risk if seared properly, but pink poultry and mince are never safe)
Burgers, sausages, and mince cooked to anything less than well done — these must be cooked through completely as bacteria from the surface is mixed throughout
Steak tartare and beef carpaccio
Cured and dried meats — salami, prosciutto, chorizo, pepperoni, and similar products are not heat-treated and can carry toxoplasmosis
Raw or undercooked chicken and turkey — poultry must always be cooked until the juices run clear and there is no pink meat
Pâté of any kind (including vegetable pâté) due to the risk of listeria

NHS Guidance on Raw Meat

The NHS advises that all meat should be thoroughly cooked with no pink remaining and juices running clear before eating during pregnancy. Cured and dried meats should be avoided unless they have been frozen for at least four days at home before eating, which kills the toxoplasmosis parasite. You can find the full NHS food safety guidance at nhs.uk.

When handling raw meat, practise careful kitchen hygiene: wash your hands thoroughly before and after, use separate chopping boards for raw meat and ready-to-eat foods, and avoid cross-contamination in the fridge by storing raw meat on the lowest shelf in a sealed container.

How to Cook Meat Safely

The safest approach is straightforward:

Cook all poultry, mince, burgers, and sausages until there is no pink remaining and juices run clear
For whole cuts of red meat (beef, lamb, pork), cook until steaming hot throughout — a meat thermometer showing 70°C held for two minutes gives confidence
Reheat any previously cooked meat until piping hot all the way through
At restaurants, do not hesitate to ask for your burger or steak to be cooked well done
If you crave cured meats, freezing them at home for at least four days before eating significantly reduces (but does not entirely eliminate) the toxoplasmosis risk — speak to your midwife if you are unsure

Frequently Asked Questions

### What if I accidentally ate raw or undercooked meat while pregnant?

Try not to panic — a single exposure does not guarantee infection. The risk from any one incident is low, but it is worth monitoring how you feel over the following days. If you develop a fever, muscle aches, flu-like symptoms, vomiting, or diarrhoea, contact your GP or call 111 and mention that you are pregnant and what you ate. In most cases, nothing will happen, but it is always better to get checked so any treatment can be given promptly if needed.

Is rare steak safe in pregnancy?

The NHS advises caution with rare and medium-rare meat in pregnancy. Whole cuts of beef or lamb that are thoroughly seared on the outside carry a lower (though not zero) risk compared with mince or poultry, but avoiding rare meat altogether is the safest approach. If you are at a restaurant and craving steak, ordering it well done is the simplest way to enjoy it safely.

Is it safe to eat cured meats like prosciutto or salami in pregnancy?

The NHS recommends avoiding cured and dried meats such as prosciutto, salami, chorizo, and pepperoni during pregnancy due to the risk of toxoplasmosis. If you want to eat them, freezing the product at home for at least four days beforehand kills the toxoplasmosis parasite. Cooking cured meats until piping hot — for example, on a pizza straight from the oven — also makes them safe to eat.

Speak to your midwife or GP if you have any questions about food safety during your pregnancy — they are there to help.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.

Last reviewed: June 2026

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