Is Prosciutto & dry-cured ham safe during pregnancy?
Cold prosciutto isn't recommended in pregnancy. It's fine cooked until steaming hot — crisped in a pan, on a hot pizza.
What the sources say
Dry-cured hams are eaten without cooking. NHS advises cooking cold cured meats such as prosciutto until steaming hot in pregnancy because of Listeria and a small risk of Toxoplasma from cured meat; CDC similarly advises heating deli meats and dry sausages to 165°F or until steaming hot. Crisped prosciutto or prosciutto baked on pizza meets this. No special restriction while breastfeeding (CDC).
Common alternatives
Also listed as
prosciutto, prosciutto di parma, parma ham, jamón serrano, serrano ham, jamón ibérico, jamon iberico, speck, coppa, capicola, bresaola, culatello
Sources
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy
- CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women
- CDC: Preventing Listeria Infection
- CDC: Maternal Diet and Breastfeeding
Last reviewed . This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or midwife about your own situation.