Is Sausages safe during pregnancy?

Meat & poultry

Safe only when thoroughly cooked

The NHS says sausages are safe when cooked with no pink or blood; the US CDC says fermented or dry sausages should be heated to 165°F.[1,2,3,4]

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]

US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women

  • Riskier Choice: Unheated deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages[2]
  • Safer Choice: Deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages heated to 165°F or until steaming hot[2]

US CDC: Preventing Listeria Infection

  • Avoid: Unheated deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages (advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[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]

Nutrition per 100 g (USDA)

Energy288 kcal
Protein15.39 g
Fibre0 g
Sugars0.93 g
Iron1.02 mg
Calcium8 mg
Folate (DFE)2 µg
Folate, total2 µg
Vitamin A (RAE)27 µg
Vitamin C0 mg
Vitamin D1.4 µg
Vitamin B120.92 µg
Choline52.5 mg
DHA (omega-3)0.003 g
EPA (omega-3)0.002 g
Caffeine0 mg
Sodium739 mg

USDA FoodData Central: Pork sausage, link/patty, unprepared (FDC ID 172934), 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 CDC: Preventing Listeria Infection · cdc.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.

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.