Deli & Lunch Meat
Everyday exposureFood & drinkAlso called · 10 names▾▴
deli meat, lunch meat, cold cuts, sandwich meat, turkey slices, ham slices, luncheon meat, sliced meat, subs, sandwiches
Listeria group
General information · effects depend on amount, timing, and how it is used. About these sources
Research strength: 3 / 5
CDC, FDA and FoodSafety.gov classify unheated deli or luncheon meat as a higher-risk choice during pregnancy and say to reheat it to 165°F (74°C) or until steaming hot. The NHS differs for cold pre-cooked ham or chicken, advising that it be kept chilled and eaten before its use-by date, but it says cold cured meats should be heated until steaming hot. A 2026 Australian cross-sectional study of 1,604 mother-infant pairs used a combined food exposure score that included delicatessen meats and found no significant association with preterm birth or low birthweight. The study did not confirm Listeria infection or estimate deli-meat-specific risk. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Sources
- CDC: Preventing Listeria InfectionUS government
- FDA: Food Safety for Moms-to-Be At-a-GlanceUS government
- FoodSafety.gov: People at Risk, Pregnant Women
- NHS: Pregnancy foods guidanceUK government
- Ooi et al., Journal of Pregnancy 2026US government
Research strength: 3 / 5
CDC, FDA and FoodSafety.gov classify unheated deli or luncheon meat as a higher-risk choice during pregnancy and say to reheat it to 165°F (74°C) or until steaming hot. The NHS differs for cold pre-cooked ham or chicken, advising that it be kept chilled and eaten before its use-by date, but it says cold cured meats should be heated until steaming hot. A 2026 Australian cross-sectional study of 1,604 mother-infant pairs used a combined food exposure score that included delicatessen meats and found no significant association with preterm birth or low birthweight. The study did not confirm Listeria infection or estimate deli-meat-specific risk. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Sources
- CDC: Preventing Listeria InfectionUS government
- FDA: Food Safety for Moms-to-Be At-a-GlanceUS government
- FoodSafety.gov: People at Risk, Pregnant Women
- NHS: Pregnancy foods guidanceUK government
- Ooi et al., Journal of Pregnancy 2026US government
Research strength: 3 / 5
CDC, FDA and FoodSafety.gov classify unheated deli or luncheon meat as a higher-risk choice during pregnancy and say to reheat it to 165°F (74°C) or until steaming hot. The NHS differs for cold pre-cooked ham or chicken, advising that it be kept chilled and eaten before its use-by date, but it says cold cured meats should be heated until steaming hot. A 2026 Australian cross-sectional study of 1,604 mother-infant pairs used a combined food exposure score that included delicatessen meats and found no significant association with preterm birth or low birthweight. The study did not confirm Listeria infection or estimate deli-meat-specific risk. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Sources
- CDC: Preventing Listeria InfectionUS government
- FDA: Food Safety for Moms-to-Be At-a-GlanceUS government
- FoodSafety.gov: People at Risk, Pregnant Women
- NHS: Pregnancy foods guidanceUK government
- Ooi et al., Journal of Pregnancy 2026US government
Deli & Lunch Meat — Breastfeeding
Research strength: 2 / 5
CDC says breastfeeding mothers generally do not need to limit or avoid specific foods. CDC's Listeria page lists pregnant women, newborns, people 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems as higher-risk groups; breastfeeding is not listed as a separate group. MotherToBaby reports that it is not clear whether Listeria passes into breastmilk, and no study has looked at deli-meat intake during breastfeeding. General food handling from CDC, such as heating deli meat until steaming hot, still applies to everyone. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-18
Pregnancy
Moran et al. (2018) reviewed 11 case-control or cross-sectional articles. Cases of maternal, fetal, or newborn listeriosis were more likely than controls to report certain high-risk dairy, meat, or fruit exposures, but the authors described the results narratively because exposures differed. The review does not provide a deli-meat-specific risk per serving. In U.S. reports from 2004 to 2007, Jackson et al. identified 128 pregnancy-associated cases among 758 reported listeriosis cases; 26 (20.3%) fetal losses and four neonatal deaths occurred in this infected case group. These are outcomes among reported cases, not a risk estimate for deli meat or for one serving. CDC's 2024 outbreak page for deli-counter sliced meats reported 61 cases, 60 hospitalizations, and 10 deaths across 19 states; these totals are not pregnancy-specific. A 2026 Australian cross-sectional analysis of 1,604 mother-infant pairs used a combined self-reported food exposure score covering 11 foods, including delicatessen meats, and found no significant association with preterm birth or low birthweight. It did not confirm Listeria infection or isolate a deli-meat-specific effect. A 2026 CDC case-case study compared food histories among people with sporadic and outbreak-associated listeriosis; its abstract does not report a pregnancy-specific deli-meat association, and the comparison cannot estimate risk among people without listeriosis.
Breastfeeding
MotherToBaby (January 2026) says it is not clear whether Listeria passes through breastmilk. Sarr et al. (2021) studied 152 breastfeeding mothers in Senegal, including 120 mothers of children with severe acute malnutrition and 32 controls. 16S sequencing detected Listeria monocytogenes DNA in all samples, while qPCR detection varied by extraction method; culture identified 10 strains, all in samples from mothers of children with severe acute malnutrition. The study reported an association, not proof that milk caused the children's illness. It did not assess deli-meat intake, confirmed maternal listeriosis, or the risk from deli meat during breastfeeding.
CDC says deli meats, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages can be contaminated with Listeria. It reports that foods sliced or prepared at deli counters can be contaminated and that refrigeration does not kill the germ.
What was tested
Moran et al. reviewed 11 case-control or cross-sectional articles, not randomized trials. The 2013 EFSA retail survey examined 13,088 samples of ready-to-eat foods from supermarkets and shops across 26 EU countries and Norway. Listeria was found in 2.1% of meat samples, and 0.4% exceeded the EU limit; the meat samples included packaged heat-treated products such as cooked sliced ham and chicken. This was a food-contamination survey, not a measure of illness risk per serving. The 2024 U.S. deli-meat outbreak investigation reported 61 cases, 60 hospitalizations, and 10 deaths. The 2026 Australian study measured self-reported intake across a combined food score and used infant outcome data from hospital records; it did not measure confirmed infection. No study identified here estimates the risk from one deli-meat serving during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Pregnancy advice for cold deli meat
- Source A says
- CDC and FoodSafety.gov classify unheated deli or luncheon meats as a higher-risk choice and say to reheat them to 165°F or until steaming hot. FDA also says luncheon meats need reheating until steaming hot. (CDC: Preventing Listeria Infection, FoodSafety.gov: People at Risk, Pregnant Women, FDA: Food Safety for Moms-to-Be At-a-Glance)
- Source B says
- The NHS says cold pre-cooked meats such as ham or chicken can be kept chilled and eaten before the use-by date. It separately says cold cured meats such as salami, pepperoni, chorizo, and prosciutto should be heated until steaming hot. (NHS: Pregnancy foods guidance)
- Why they differ
- The NHS distinguishes cold pre-cooked meats from cold cured meats. U.S. agencies use a broader deli or luncheon meat category for reheating guidance. These sources do not provide a shared estimate of pregnancy risk per serving.
- What the evidence shows overall
- For U.S. consumers, CDC, FDA, and FoodSafety.gov give a clear heating option for deli meat. The NHS is less restrictive for chilled cold pre-cooked ham or chicken, while keeping the heating instruction for cold cured meats. The difference should be stated rather than hidden.
- CDC describes deli meat, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages reheated to 165°F or until steaming hot as the alternative to unheated products for people at higher risk. (CDC: Preventing Listeria Infection)
- The NHS distinguishes cold pre-cooked ham or chicken, which it says to keep chilled and eat before the use-by date, from cold cured meats, which it says to heat until steaming hot. (NHS: Pregnancy foods guidance)
- USDA FSIS lists luncheon meats as 3 to 5 days under its refrigerator-storage guidance for 40°F or below. (USDA FSIS: Take-Out Food Storage Guidance)
General research, not specific to pregnancy.
For people generally, WHO says processed meat, including ham and sausages, is classified as Group 1 because there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans.
- WHO says Group 1 is used when there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans. This describes the strength of the evidence for processed meat, including ham, not pregnancy-specific guidance. (WHO: Carcinogenicity of red and processed meat Q&A)
Experiences from moms and non-medical voices. Not medical evidence.
- CDC: Preventing Listeria InfectionUS governmentSecondaryPage dated 2025-01-31
- CDC: How Listeria Spread: Deli Foods and Prepared MeatsUS governmentSecondaryPage dated 2024-08-11
- CDC: Clinical Overview of ListeriosisUS governmentSecondaryPage dated 2025-09-24
- CDC: Listeria Outbreak Linked to Meats Sliced at DelisUS governmentSecondaryPage dated 2025-01-31
- FDA: Food Safety for Moms-to-Be At-a-GlanceUS governmentSecondary
- FoodSafety.gov: People at Risk, Pregnant WomenSecondaryPage dated 2026-10-05
- NHS: Pregnancy foods guidanceUK governmentSecondaryPage dated 2026-06-15Independent check
- Moran et al., Journal of Nutritional Science 2018US governmentPrimaryPage dated 2018-09-24Independent check
- Jackson et al., Epidemiology and Infection 2010US governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- EFSA: Listeria levels in certain ready-to-eat foodsEU agencyPrimaryPage dated 2013-06-27Independent check
- MotherToBaby: Listeria Infection (Listeriosis)Teratology serviceSecondaryPage dated 2026-01-01
- Sarr et al., PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021US governmentPrimaryPage dated 2021-06-29Independent check
- Ooi et al., Journal of Pregnancy 2026US governmentPrimaryPage dated 2026-07-31Independent check
- Namwase et al., Public Health Reports 2026US governmentPrimaryPage dated 2026-06-30
- WHO: Carcinogenicity of red and processed meat Q&AInternational agencySecondaryPage dated 2026-09-23
- USDA FSIS: Take-Out Food Storage GuidanceSecondary
- CDC: Maternal Diet and BreastfeedingUS governmentSecondaryPage dated 2026-08-25
- CDC: People at Increased Risk for Listeria InfectionUS governmentSecondaryPage dated 2025-09-24
Last reviewed 2026-10-18
Independent check 2026-10-18
Not yet clinician-reviewed
Ask your provider about your situation.