Is Ham (cold cooked) safe during pregnancy?
Meat & poultry
Official sources differ
The official sources below do not agree, so each position is shown with who holds it.[1,2,3,4,5]
- NHS: Keep cold pre-cooked ham chilled and eat it before the use-by date.
- US CDC / US FDA: Do not eat deli meats unless reheated until steaming hot (165°F).
- FSANZ: Avoid packaged, sliced ready-to-eat meats.
What official sources say
NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy
- Meat and poultry › Foods to be careful with: Processed, cold pre-cooked meats such as ham or chicken need care in pregnancy: keep them in the fridge and eat them before their use-by date.[1]
US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women
US FDA: Ready-to-Eat Foods (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)
- Don't eat:
Hot dogs, deli meats, and luncheon meats - unless they're reheated until steaming hot.
[3]
FSANZ: Listeria in food
- Avoid pre-prepared ready-to-eat foods, especially:
cold meats from delicatessen counters and sandwich bars, and packaged, sliced ready-to-eat meats
(advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[4]
FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people
- Higher-risk foods:
Packaged, sliced meats
(advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[5]
Nutrition per 100 g (USDA)
| Energy | 164 kcal |
| Protein | 16.6 g |
| Fibre | 1.3 g |
| Sugars | 1 g |
| Iron | 1.02 mg |
| Calcium | 24 mg |
| Folate (DFE) | 7 µg |
| Folate, total | 7 µg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 0 µg |
| Vitamin C | 4 mg |
| Vitamin D | 0.7 µg |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.42 µg |
| Choline | 81.9 mg |
| DHA (omega-3) | 0 g |
| EPA (omega-3) | 0 g |
| Caffeine | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 814 mg |
USDA FoodData Central: Ham, sliced, regular (approximately 11% fat) (FDC ID 173864), per 100 g. Public domain. Values describe that USDA record; composition varies with variety and preparation.
Sources
- 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.
- US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women · cdc.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
- US FDA: Ready-to-Eat Foods (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be) · fda.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
- FSANZ: Listeria in food · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.
- FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people · 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.