Can You Eat Salami While Pregnant?
Cured deli meats like salami are best heated until steaming hot before eating in pregnancy, rather than eaten cold from the packet.
The full answer
Salami is a cured, ready-to-eat meat, and like other deli and cured meats it can occasionally carry Listeria — a bacterium that's rare but can be dangerous in pregnancy — and, because it isn't cooked, a small toxoplasmosis risk. Mainstream guidance (FDA, NHS) isn't that you can never have it, but that cured and deli meats should be heated until steaming hot — around 74°C / 165°F — just before eating, which kills these bacteria. Straight from the packet at room temperature it carries a small but avoidable risk; heated right through on a hot pizza or in a cooked dish, it's considered fine. This is general planning information — confirm with your midwife or provider.
How to eat salami safely
- Heat until steaming hot (74°C/165°F) right before eating — e.g. cooked on a pizza or in a hot dish
- Eat it freshly heated rather than letting it cool and sit out
- Store it properly and check use-by dates
When to avoid: Avoid salami eaten cold or straight from the packet. If you've already had some cold, don't panic — listeriosis is rare — but tell your provider if you develop a fever or flu-like symptoms.
Pregnancy food-safety basics
Most “can I have this?” questions in pregnancy come down to four things. Listeria — a bacterium that survives the fridge — is why chilled ready-to-eat meats, pâté, and mould-ripened soft cheeses are heated or avoided. Mercury is why certain fish are limited. Caffeine is capped at about 200 mg a day. And alcohol is best avoided entirely, as no safe amount is known. Cooking food until it’s steaming hot kills listeria and most other bugs, which is why “heat until steaming” solves so many of these questions.
For the full picture, see our pregnancy safety guide, and track your pregnancy with the How Far Along Am I? calculator and the week-by-week guide.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you eat salami while pregnant?
- Cured deli meats like salami are best heated until steaming hot before eating in pregnancy, rather than eaten cold from the packet. Salami is a cured, ready-to-eat meat, and like other deli and cured meats it can occasionally carry Listeria — a bacterium that's rare but can be dangerous in pregnancy — and, because it isn't cooked, a small toxoplasmosis risk. Mainstream guidance (FDA, NHS) isn't that you can never have it, but that cured and deli meats should be heated until steaming hot — around 74°C / 165°F — just before eating, which kills these bacteria. Straight from the packet at room temperature it carries a small but avoidable risk; heated right through on a hot pizza or in a cooked dish, it's considered fine. This is general planning information — confirm with your midwife or provider.
- Why is salami something to be careful with in pregnancy?
- Salami is a cured, ready-to-eat meat, and like other deli and cured meats it can occasionally carry Listeria — a bacterium that's rare but can be dangerous in pregnancy — and, because it isn't cooked, a small toxoplasmosis risk. Mainstream guidance (FDA, NHS) isn't that you can never have it, but that cured and deli meats should be heated until steaming hot — around 74°C / 165°F — just before eating, which kills these bacteria. Straight from the packet at room temperature it carries a small but avoidable risk; heated right through on a hot pizza or in a cooked dish, it's considered fine. This is general planning information — confirm with your midwife or provider.
- When should I avoid salami during pregnancy?
- Avoid salami eaten cold or straight from the packet. If you've already had some cold, don't panic — listeriosis is rare — but tell your provider if you develop a fever or flu-like symptoms.