Is Chicken safe during pregnancy?

Meat & poultry

Safe only when thoroughly cooked

The NHS says chicken is safe when thoroughly cooked with no pink or blood; the US CDC and FDA say to cook all poultry to 165°F (74°C).[1,2,3,4]

What official sources say

NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

  • Meat and poultry › Safe to eat: Chicken, pork, lamb, turkey and duck are safe to eat in pregnancy when thoroughly cooked, with no pink or blood left after cooking.[1]

US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women

  • Safer Choice: All poultry, including ground chicken and turkey, cooked to 165°F[2]

US FDA: Meat, Poultry & Seafood (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)

  • Cook all poultry to minimal safe internal temperature of 165° F (74° C).[3]
  • Cook ground poultry to 165° F (74° C).[3]

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.[4]

Related general rules

NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

  • Meat and poultry › Foods to avoid: Raw or undercooked meat is on the list of foods to avoid in pregnancy.[1]
  • Eating raw, undercooked or cured meat carries a small risk of toxoplasmosis, an infection that can cause miscarriage.[1]

US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women

  • Riskier Choice: Raw or undercooked poultry or meat[2]

FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people

  • Higher-risk foods: Chicken - pre-cooked, cold (advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[5]

FSANZ: Listeria in food

  • Avoid pre-prepared ready-to-eat foods, especially: cold cooked ready-to-eat chicken (whole, portions, or diced) (advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[6]

Nutrition per 100 g (USDA)

Energy172 kcal
Protein20.85 g
Fibre0 g
Sugars0 g
Iron0.74 mg
Calcium11 mg
Folate (DFE)4 µg
Folate, total4 µg
Vitamin A (RAE)24 µg
Vitamin C0 mg
Vitamin D0.4 µg
Vitamin B120.34 µg
Choline67.1 mg
DHA (omega-3)0.02 g
EPA (omega-3)0.01 g
Caffeine0 mg
Sodium63 mg

USDA FoodData Central: Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat and skin, raw (FDC ID 171474), per 100 g. Public domain. Values describe that USDA record; composition varies with variety and preparation.

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. US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women · cdc.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  3. US FDA: Meat, Poultry & Seafood (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be) · fda.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  4. 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.
  5. FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  6. FSANZ: Listeria in food · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.

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.