Safer Food Choices for Pregnant People

Poultry and MeatRiskier ChoiceSafer Choice

• Raw or undercooked poultry or meat
  • Poultry includes chicken and turkey
  • Meat includes beef, pork, lamb, and veal
• Unheated deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages
• Refrigerated pâté or meat spreads

• Poultry and meat cooked to a safe internal temperature. Use a food thermometer to check.
  • All poultry, including ground chicken and turkey, cooked to 165°F
  • Whole cuts of beef, veal, lamb, and pork cooked to 145°F (then allow the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating)
  • Ground meats, such as beef and pork, cooked to 160°F
• Deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages heated to 165°F or until steaming hot
• Pâté or meat spreads in sealed, airtight containers that don’t need to be kept refrigerated before opening

Deli saladsRiskier ChoiceSafer Choice

• Premade deli salads, such as:

• • Coleslaw
  • Potato salad
  • Tuna salad
  • Chicken salad
  • Egg salad

Homemade deli saladsVegetables and FruitsRiskier ChoiceSafer Choice

• Any raw or undercooked sprouts, such as alfalfa and bean
• Unwashed fresh fruits and vegetables, including lettuce and other leafy greens
• Cut melon left out for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it’s exposed to temperatures hotter than 90°F, such as a picnic or hot car)

• Cooked sprouts (until steaming hot)
• Washed vegetables and fruits (washed and then cooked are safest)
• Freshly cut melon or cut melon kept refrigerated for 7 or fewer days

JuiceRiskier ChoiceSafer ChoiceUnpasteurized juice or cider

• Pasteurized juice or cider
• Unpasteurized juice or cider brought to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute before drinking

MilkRiskier ChoiceSafer ChoiceUnpasteurized (raw) milk and dairy products made from raw milkPasteurized milk and dairy products made from pasteurized milkCheeseRiskier ChoiceSafer Choice

• Soft cheese made from unpasteurized (raw) milk—for example, queso fresco, brie, camembert, and blue-veined cheese
• Unheated cheese sliced at a deli

• Hard cheese, such as cheddar and swiss
• Cottage cheese, cream cheese, string cheese, and feta
• Pasteurized soft cheeses heated to an internal temperature of 165°F or until steaming hot
• Deli-sliced cheeses heated to 165°F or until steaming hot

EggsRiskier ChoiceSafer ChoiceRaw or undercooked (runny) eggs, and foods that contain raw or undercooked eggs, such as

• Caesar salad dressing
• Raw cookie dough or raw batter
• Homemade eggnog

• Eggs cooked until the yolks and whites are firm
• Egg dishes (frittata, quiche, casserole) cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F if they contain meat or poultry
• Egg dishes cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F if they do not contain meat or poultry
• Pasteurized eggs in foods that will not be cooked to a safe temperature, such as mousse and salad dressing

SeafoodRiskier ChoiceSafer Choice

• Raw or undercooked fish or shellfish, including sashimi, sushi, and ceviche
• Refrigerated smoked seafood (except in a cooked dish). Refrigerated smoked seafood is usually labeled as “nova-style,” “lox,” “kippered,” “smoked,” or “jerky”
• Fish that contain high amounts of mercury, such as
  • Shark
  • Swordfish
  • King mackerel
  • Tilefish

• Fish cooked to a safe internal temperature of 145°F or until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork
• Shellfish cooked until shells open during cooking or until flesh is pearly or white, and opaque
• Smoked fish in sealed, airtight packages or containers that don’t need to be kept refrigerated before opening
• Smoked fish cooked in a casserole or other cooked dishes
• Canned fish and seafood
• Fish that contain low amounts of mercury, such as
  • Shrimp
  • Canned light tuna
  • Salmon
  • Pollock
  • Catfish

FlourRiskier ChoiceSafer ChoiceRaw dough or raw batter made with raw (uncooked) flour

• Food made with flour that is cooked following the package directions or recipe
• Dough and batter made with heat-treated flour and pasteurized eggs
• Dough and batter that is labeled “edible” or “safe to eat raw”