Is Burger safe during pregnancy?

Meat & poultry

Safe only when thoroughly cooked

The NHS says burgers are safe when cooked right through with no pink or blood left; FSANZ lists raw and semi-cooked burger patties as higher-risk.[1,2,3]

What official sources say

NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

  • Meat and poultry › Safe to eat: Minced meat, burgers, sausages and black pudding are safe to eat in pregnancy when thoroughly cooked, with no pink or blood left after cooking.[1]

NHS: Have a healthy diet in pregnancy

  • Cook poultry, burgers, sausages and whole cuts of meat such as lamb, beef and pork thoroughly, until steaming hot throughout, with no pink meat and no pink or red in the juices.[2]

FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people

  • Higher-risk foods: Meat - raw and semi cooked (e.g. burger patties) (advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[3]

Related general rules

US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women

  • Safer Choice: Ground meats, such as beef and pork, cooked to 160°F[4]

ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024

  • Some fast foods, such as milkshakes, chips, pizzas, burgers and fries, are considered unhealthy because they are high in fat, sugar or salt, or ultra-processed. (p. 96) (general-population advice, not specific to pregnancy)[5]

Sources

  1. NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy · nhs.uk. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). Not endorsed by the NHS.
  2. NHS: Have a healthy diet in pregnancy · nhs.uk. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). Not endorsed by the NHS.
  3. FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  4. US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women · cdc.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  5. ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 · nin.res.in. Printed page 96. Paraphrased and cited by printed page; the text is not reproduced.

Sources checked 26 September 2026.

Quotes are checked word for word against each source page, and paraphrases against the original text. Official bodies are named as sources only: none of them reviewed or endorses this page.

Educational information, not medical advice. Your own doctor or midwife may advise differently for you — follow their advice.