Can You Eat Deli Meat During Pregnancy?
Learn why CDC advises reheating deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and dry sausage during pregnancy, and what 165°F means for a sandwich.
Heat the meat until it’s steaming and eat it hot.
Henry Community Health: What Can’t You Eat During Pregnancy? Read the original source
The short answer: CDC lists unheated deli meat and cold cuts as riskier choices during pregnancy. Its safer-choice guidance is to reheat deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages to 165°F or until steaming hot before eating. This applies even when the package says the meat is precooked. The concern is Listeria contamination after processing, not just whether the meat was cooked when it was made.
Does a packaged turkey sandwich count?
Yes. CDC's guidance covers deli meat and cold cuts, including ready-to-eat varieties. A cold sandwich made with prepackaged sliced turkey is still an unheated cold-cut sandwich. To follow CDC's safer-choice advice, heat the turkey to 165°F or until steaming hot before putting it in the sandwich. The bread and vegetables do not make unheated meat safer. If the sandwich comes with raw sprouts, ask for them to be left off; CDC lists raw sprouts as a riskier choice too (see our sprouts guide).
If you are ordering out, ask whether the meat can be heated thoroughly just before serving. If that is not possible, choose another filling. CDC's explanation of deli foods and Listeria describes why slicing and handling matter.
What about hot dogs, salami, and pepperoni?
The same CDC pregnancy chart places unheated hot dogs and fermented or dry sausages in the riskier column. Heat them to 165°F or until steaming hot. A topping that is only warm is not the same as one heated through. Our hot dog guide covers grilling and corn dogs, and our pepperoni guide covers pizza and snack sticks. CDC also lists refrigerated pâté and meat spreads as riskier; pâté in sealed containers that do not need refrigeration before opening is its safer choice. Liver pâté raises a separate vitamin A question, covered in our vitamin A without liver guide. If you are cooking raw meat or poultry instead, use the food-specific safe internal temperature on the CDC chart; the reheating rule for ready-to-eat meats is a separate question.
For cooked meals saved for later, use our leftovers guide for refrigeration times and reheating steps.
Can PregNut's nutrient chart tell me whether the meat is safe?
No. PregNut's food pages show nutrients per 100 g of a reference food. They do not tell you whether a particular package was recalled, how it was stored, or whether it reached a safe temperature. You can compare the nutrient entries for sliced turkey, bologna, or dry salami, then use CDC's food-safety advice to decide how to prepare the food. For another ready-to-eat food question, see our cheese and pasteurization guide.
What if I already ate cold deli meat?
Eating it does not mean you have a Listeria infection. CDC's symptom guidance says to contact a healthcare provider if you ate food recalled or linked to an outbreak and have fever with symptoms such as fatigue or muscle aches. Tell the provider what you ate. If you feel well but have a specific concern, ask your prenatal care team for advice.
Related: pâté and meat spreads, premade deli salads, and salami and prosciutto.
Sources: CDC safer food choices for pregnancy, CDC Listeria and deli foods, FoodSafety.gov pregnancy guidance, and CDC Listeria symptoms. This guide is educational and does not replace prenatal care.