Is Sugarcane juice safe during pregnancy?

Indian foodDrinks Also called Ganne-ka-ras (Hindi); Akher rosh (Bengali); Karumbu charu (Tamil); Cheruku rasam (Telugu); Usacha rasa (Marathi); Karumbin neeru (Malayalam); Kabbina halu (Kannada); Sherdino ras (Gujarati).

No official guidance

None of the official sources we searched names sugarcane juice in its pregnancy advice, so there is no official verdict. The general rules below still apply.

No official guidance

We searched these official sources for “Ganne ka ras”, “Karumbu saaru” and “Sugarcane juice”. None names this food in its pregnancy advice, so this page gives no verdict of its own.

General rules that still apply

US FDA: Fruits, Veggies and Juices (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)

  • To prevent foodborne illness, only drink those juices that have been pasteurized or otherwise treated to kill harmful bacteria.[1]
  • Juices that are fresh-squeezed and sold by the glass, such as at farmer's markets, at roadside stands, or in some juice bars, may not be pasteurized, or otherwise treated to ensure their safety. Warning labels are not required on these products. Pregnant women and young children should avoid these juices.[1]
  • If you can't tell if a juice has been processed to destroy harmful bacteria, either don't use the product or boil it to kill any harmful bacteria.[1]

US FDA: Eating Out & Bringing In (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)

  • Pregnant women and young children should avoid all unpasteurized juices.[2]

US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women

  • Riskier Choice: Unpasteurized juice or cider[3]
  • Safer Choice: Pasteurized juice or cider[3]
  • Safer Choice: Unpasteurized juice or cider brought to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute before drinking[3]

FSANZ: Listeria in food

  • Avoid pre-prepared ready-to-eat foods, especially: unpasteurised fruit juices (advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[4]

FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people

  • Higher-risk foods: Fruit juices - unpasteurised (advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[5]

ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024

  • Sugarcane juice, widely drunk in India especially in summer, is high in sugar (13 to 15 g per 100 ml), so it should be kept to a minimum. (p. 91) (general-population advice, not specific to pregnancy)[6]

Sources

  1. US FDA: Fruits, Veggies and Juices (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be) · fda.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  2. US FDA: Eating Out & Bringing In (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be) · fda.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  3. US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women · cdc.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  4. FSANZ: Listeria in food · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  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. ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 · nin.res.in. Printed page 91. 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.