What do medical sources say about Raw or Undercooked Meat & Seafood during pregnancy?

1st Trimester: CDC lists raw or undercooked meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish as riskier choices; ACOG advises avoiding raw or undercooked seafood, eggs, meat, and poultry. CDC also lists unheated deli meats, hot dogs, fermented or dry sausages, and refrigerated pâté; its table lists refrigerated smoked seafood as a riskier choice except when cooked in another dish. MotherToBaby says the chance of birth defects depends on whether contamination leads to infection and which germ is involved. CDC lists 165°F for poultry and deli meats, 145°F plus a 3-minute rest for whole cuts, 160°F for ground beef and pork, and 145°F for finfish; it says shellfish should be cooked until shells open or flesh turns opaque. CDC says earlier toxoplasmosis transmission can cause more severe fetal harm, while MotherToBaby says transmission becomes more likely later; CDC and ACOG describe pregnancy loss, early birth, or serious newborn illness after Listeria infection. Ask your provider about your situation. 2nd Trimester: CDC lists raw or undercooked meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish as riskier choices; ACOG advises avoiding raw or undercooked seafood, eggs, meat, and poultry. CDC also lists unheated deli meats, hot dogs, fermented or dry sausages, and refrigerated pâté; its table lists refrigerated smoked seafood as a riskier choice except when cooked in another dish. MotherToBaby says the chance of birth defects depends on whether contamination leads to infection and which germ is involved. CDC lists 165°F for poultry and deli meats, 145°F plus a 3-minute rest for whole cuts, 160°F for ground beef and pork, and 145°F for finfish; it says shellfish should be cooked until shells open or flesh turns opaque. MotherToBaby says toxoplasmosis transmission becomes more likely later in pregnancy, though CDC links earlier transmission to more severe fetal harm; CDC and ACOG also describe pregnancy loss, early birth, or serious newborn illness after Listeria infection. Ask your provider about your situation. 3rd Trimester: CDC lists raw or undercooked meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish as riskier choices; ACOG advises avoiding raw or undercooked seafood, eggs, meat, and poultry. CDC also lists unheated deli meats, hot dogs, fermented or dry sausages, and refrigerated pâté; its table lists refrigerated smoked seafood as a riskier choice except when cooked in another dish. MotherToBaby says the chance of birth defects depends on whether contamination leads to infection and which germ is involved. CDC lists 165°F for poultry and deli meats, 145°F plus a 3-minute rest for whole cuts, 160°F for ground beef and pork, and 145°F for finfish; it says shellfish should be cooked until shells open or flesh turns opaque. MotherToBaby says toxoplasmosis is more likely to pass to the fetus later in pregnancy, while CDC says earlier transmission can cause more severe fetal harm; CDC and ACOG describe serious outcomes if Listeria infection occurs. Ask your provider about your situation.

What do medical sources say about Raw or Undercooked Meat & Seafood while breastfeeding?

MotherToBaby says most people with a Salmonella infection do not need to stop nursing and advises handwashing. CDC's 2025 guidance says a parent with food- or water-related traveler's diarrhea can continue nursing. A 2005 case report linked neonatal Salmonella meningitis to contaminated breast milk, while MotherToBaby describes possible milk transmission in case reports. MotherToBaby says it is unclear whether Listeria passes through milk; a 2021 Senegal study detected Listeria in milk but did not establish transmission or cause. Ask your provider about your situation.

Where do sources disagree on Raw or Undercooked Meat & Seafood in pregnancy or breastfeeding?

Does the timing of maternal toxoplasmosis predict severity after fetal transmission? CDC says transmission earlier in pregnancy can cause more severe fetal damage, while MotherToBaby says transmission becomes more likely later in pregnancy. The 2025 Eastern Sicily cohort found no significant correlation between gestational age at maternal seroconversion and symptoms, eye findings, or neurologic sequelae among infected newborns. The cohort was retrospective and selected, with 29 infected newborns in the followed group. It measured severity outcomes in that sample, while the agency guidance describes the broader clinical pattern. Transmission frequency and severity are separate questions. The Sicily cohort found transmission more often after later maternal seroconversion, but it did not confirm a severity gradient. Its null result does not establish that early infection has no greater potential for harm, and its trimester percentages should not be used as general-population risks.

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Raw or Undercooked Meat & Seafood

Everyday exposureFood & drink

Also called · 10 names▾

raw meat, undercooked meat, raw seafood, undercooked seafood, rare steak, sushi, sashimi, cold cuts, deli meat, lunch meat

Food & drink

General information · effects depend on amount, timing, and how it is used. About these sources

Pregnancy

MotherToBaby lists toxoplasmosis, Listeria, Salmonella, and other germs as possible foodborne concerns, but the link is contamination followed by infection. A 2025 Eastern Sicily retrospective cohort evaluated 220 newborns and had follow-up data for 151; transmission occurred in 29 of 151 (19.2%), with reported rates of 5% in the first trimester, 23% in the second, and 63% in the third. The study found no significant correlation between gestational age at seroconversion and symptoms, eye findings, or neurologic outcomes, and its selected cohort does not establish general-population transmission rates. A 2026 prospective Brazilian cohort followed 55 mother-infant pairs with confirmed maternal infection; 11 infants (20%) were diagnosed with congenital toxoplasmosis, and later maternal diagnosis was associated with infection. These are cohorts of confirmed infections, not studies of people who ate raw or undercooked meat. A 2025 retrospective Xiamen series reported nine confirmed pregnancy-associated Listeria cases and outcomes among 10 offspring; a 2026 Fuzhou series covered four pregnant patients and three newborns. These small case series describe severe outcomes after confirmed infection but do not estimate the risk from a food exposure. MotherToBaby lists pregnancy loss as a possible outcome of Salmonella infection. A 2003 case report describes miscarriage after invasive Salmonella infection and suspected undercooked egg exposure, so it is not an outcome estimate for raw meat or seafood. A 2026 Australian cross-sectional study of 1,604 mother-infant pairs used a self-reported food-frequency score for potential Listeria exposure; it found no significant association with preterm birth, low birth weight, or NICU/SCN admission, but it did not measure confirmed infection or isolate raw meat or seafood.

Breastfeeding

MotherToBaby reports that most people with Salmonella infections do not need to stop breastfeeding and advises careful handwashing. A 2005 case report described neonatal Salmonella enterica serotype Panama meningitis associated with contaminated breast milk; the mother shed the organism without symptoms for at least two weeks. CDC's 2025 page says a parent with food- or water-related traveler's diarrhea can continue breastfeeding, while also stating that organisms causing traveler's diarrhea do not pass through breast milk; this guidance is not specific to every Salmonella infection. A 2021 Senegal case-control study detected Listeria monocytogenes in 152 of 152 breast-milk samples by 16S sequencing, while qPCR had lower recovery; culture isolates came from 10 mothers whose children had severe acute malnutrition. The study reported an association, but it did not establish that milk transmission caused infant infection or malnutrition. MotherToBaby says it is unclear whether Listeria passes through breast milk.

Does the timing of maternal toxoplasmosis predict severity after fetal transmission?

Source A says: CDC says transmission earlier in pregnancy can cause more severe fetal damage, while MotherToBaby says transmission becomes more likely later in pregnancy. (CDC: Symptoms of Toxoplasmosis, MotherToBaby: Eating Raw, Undercooked, or Cold Meats and Seafood)
Source B says: The 2025 Eastern Sicily cohort found no significant correlation between gestational age at maternal seroconversion and symptoms, eye findings, or neurologic sequelae among infected newborns. (Garozzo et al., Frontiers in Pediatrics 2025: Congenital toxoplasmosis in Eastern Sicily)
Why they differ: The cohort was retrospective and selected, with 29 infected newborns in the followed group. It measured severity outcomes in that sample, while the agency guidance describes the broader clinical pattern. Transmission frequency and severity are separate questions.
What the evidence shows overall: The Sicily cohort found transmission more often after later maternal seroconversion, but it did not confirm a severity gradient. Its null result does not establish that early infection has no greater potential for harm, and its trimester percentages should not be used as general-population risks.

Can a foodborne infection in a breastfeeding parent reach an infant through milk?

Source A says: MotherToBaby says case reports suggest Salmonella may pass to a nursing child. CDC says organisms that cause traveler's diarrhea do not pass through breast milk and says breastfeeding can continue during food- or water-related diarrhea. (MotherToBaby: Eating Raw, Undercooked, or Cold Meats and Seafood, CDC: Foodborne and Waterborne Illness and Breastfeeding)
Source B says: A 2005 case report linked neonatal Salmonella meningitis to contaminated breast milk; the mother shed the organism without symptoms for at least two weeks. (Chen et al., Journal of Clinical Microbiology 2005: Salmonella associated with contaminated breast milk)
Why they differ: CDC's page addresses traveler's diarrhea broadly, while the case report describes one Salmonella serotype and contaminated milk. The case report cannot estimate how often this route occurs or apply to every foodborne organism.
What the evidence shows overall: The case report supports a possible, uncommon milk-transmission route for Salmonella. It does not overturn general guidance to continue breastfeeding during many foodborne illnesses, but it means the milk-transmission question should remain qualified.

Is breast-milk transmission of Listeria established?

Source A says: MotherToBaby says it is unclear whether Listeria passes through breast milk. (MotherToBaby: Listeria Infection (Listeriosis))
Source B says: A 2021 Senegal case-control study detected Listeria in breast milk and reported an association with severe acute malnutrition, with culture isolates from 10 mothers in the case group. (Sarr et al., PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021: Listeria in breast milk in West Africa)
Why they differ: MotherToBaby discusses infant transmission during maternal infection; the study measured bacterial carriage and an association in a specific West African population. Detection in milk does not by itself establish infant infection or causation.
What the evidence shows overall: The study adds evidence that Listeria was detected in breast milk in that setting, but it does not establish that breastfeeding transmitted infection or caused malnutrition. The clinical transmission question remains uncertain.

Does refrigerated smoked seafood remain a risk when cooked in another dish?

Source A says: CDC lists refrigerated smoked seafood as a riskier choice except when it is cooked in a dish. (CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women)
Source B says: ACOG lists refrigerated smoked seafood among foods to avoid during pregnancy without stating the cooked-dish exception. (ACOG: Listeria and Pregnancy)
Why they differ: CDC gives an explicit cooked-dish alternative, while ACOG uses a shorter patient FAQ that does not spell out that exception.
What the evidence shows overall: The corrected summary preserves CDC's explicit exception and attributes ACOG's broader wording. The main guidance remains focused on refrigerated smoked seafood that is not included in a cooked dish.

Last reviewed 2026-10-16

Independent check 2026-10-16

Not yet clinician-reviewed

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Raw or Undercooked Meat & Seafood

Raw or Undercooked Meat & Seafood — Breastfeeding

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