Is Salami & dry-cured sausage safe during pregnancy?
Eat cured sausages like salami only when heated to 165°F or steaming hot (e.g., baked on pizza). Skip cold charcuterie.
What the sources say
CDC advises people who are pregnant to avoid unheated fermented or dry sausages and eat them only when heated to 165°F or until steaming hot, because of Listeria. NHS gives the same advice for cold cured meats such as salami, pepperoni and chorizo and notes cured meat carries a small Toxoplasma risk. Baked into a hot dish or pizza is fine. No special restriction while breastfeeding (CDC).
Common alternatives
Also listed as
salami, genoa salami, hard salami, soppressata, sopressata, summer sausage, dry sausage, fermented sausage, saucisson, landjaeger, cured sausage, charcuterie
Sources
- CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women
- CDC: Preventing Listeria Infection
- FDA: People at Risk of Foodborne Illness
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy
- CDC: Maternal Diet and Breastfeeding
Last reviewed . This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or midwife about your own situation.