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Can I eat coleslaw while pregnant?

Avoid Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Ready-made coleslaw from a shop, deli or restaurant gets Avoid in Doola Scan in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, because of listeria, and Check in the UK. The CDC lists premade deli salads such as coleslaw among foods to avoid in pregnancy, and NSW Health names pre-packed coleslaw. The NHS calls pre-packaged salads low risk if kept chilled and eaten before the use-by date. Doola has no Canadian or Irish source on deli salads yet, so its answer there follows the other countries' guidance. Coleslaw you make fresh at home is different: the CDC lists homemade deli salads as the better choice.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Ready-made coleslaw from a shop, deli or salad bar

    AvoidUnited StatesAustraliaNew ZealandCheckUnited KingdomCanadaIreland

  • Coleslaw from a restaurant or fast-food chain, like KFC

    AvoidUnited StatesAustraliaNew ZealandCheckUnited KingdomCanadaIreland

  • Coleslaw made fresh at home with jar mayonnaise

    No known issuesIn all six countries
Doola Scan checking a plate
What each country says

Coleslaw while pregnant: what each country says.

Each country's own pregnancy guidance on coleslaw, with a link to it. Doola Scan uses your country's first.

  • Doola has no source from Canada and Ireland on this yet; their answer comes from the other countries' guidance.

  • United States

    • Ready-made coleslaw from a shop, deli or salad barAvoid
    • Coleslaw from a restaurant or fast-food chain, like KFCAvoid
    • Coleslaw made fresh at home with jar mayonnaiseNo known issues
    • CDCAvoid premade deli salads such as coleslaw, potato, tuna or chicken salad; homemade is the safer choice.Source
    • FDAAvoid deli salads made on site without preservatives (ham, chicken, seafood salad).Source
    Washing the cabbage and carrot
    • FDAAvoid unwashed fresh vegetables, including lettuce and salads.Source
    Coleslaw with homemade mayonnaise
    • FDAAvoid raw or undercooked eggs and foods containing them; foods made with pasteurized eggs are fine.Source
    • FDARaw eggs can carry salmonella.Source
    • FoodSafety.gov (HHS)Foods with raw or lightly cooked eggs only with pasteurised eggs.Source

  • United Kingdom

    • Ready-made coleslaw from a shop, deli or salad barCheck
    • Coleslaw from a restaurant or fast-food chain, like KFCCheck
    • Coleslaw made fresh at home with jar mayonnaiseNo known issues
    • NHSLow risk, but ready-to-eat chilled foods may contain listeria.Source
    Washing the cabbage and carrot
    • NHSSoil on produce can carry bacteria and toxoplasma.Source
    Coleslaw with homemade mayonnaise
    • NHSRaw eggs that are not Lion-stamped may carry salmonella.Source
    • NHSRaw-egg foods like mayonnaise and mousse fine if made with British Lion or Laid in Britain hen eggs.Source

  • Canada

    • Ready-made coleslaw from a shop, deli or salad barCheck
    • Coleslaw from a restaurant or fast-food chain, like KFCCheck
    • Coleslaw made fresh at home with jar mayonnaiseNo known issues
    Washing the cabbage and carrot
    • Health CanadaRinse delicate produce under cool running water; scrub firm produce.Source
    Coleslaw with homemade mayonnaise
    • CPSAvoid raw egg and egg dishes with runny yolk.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid raw-egg foods (homemade mayonnaise, batter, ice cream) unless made with pasteurized liquid eggs.Source
    • CPSAvoid raw egg and egg dishes with runny yolk, such as eggnog.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid foods with raw egg: some dressings, sauces, cookie dough, cake batter, homemade eggnog (unless heated to 71 °C).Source

  • Australia

    • Ready-made coleslaw from a shop, deli or salad barAvoid
    • Coleslaw from a restaurant or fast-food chain, like KFCAvoid
    • Coleslaw made fresh at home with jar mayonnaiseNo known issues
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Avoid pre-prepared salads and other cold foods that will not be reheated.Source
    • FSANZAvoid pre-prepared/pre-packaged fruit or vegetable salads incl. buffets and salad bars; eat freshly prepared.Source
    • NSW Food AuthorityDo not eat pre-prepared or pre-packaged salads, sandwiches or wraps.Source
    • NSW HealthDo not eat pre-packed cold salads, including coleslaw.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Avoid pre-prepared or pre-packaged salads, and cold meats from sandwich bars.Source
    Washing the cabbage and carrot
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Wash fruit, vegetables and herbs to remove soil (toxoplasma).Source
    Coleslaw with homemade mayonnaise
    • NSW Food AuthorityDo not eat raw egg in food (home-made mayonnaise, aioli, mousse, batter).Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)No homemade mayonnaise, aioli, mousse or raw cake batter; commercial mayo/custard OK.Source
    • FSANZSafer alternatives to raw egg dishes: pasteurised eggs, commercial custard and dressings.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Commercially made products with egg (e.g. shop mayonnaise) are fine; not homemade mayonnaise, aioli, mousse or raw cake batter.Source

  • New Zealand

    • Ready-made coleslaw from a shop, deli or salad barAvoid
    • Coleslaw from a restaurant or fast-food chain, like KFCAvoid
    • Coleslaw made fresh at home with jar mayonnaiseNo known issues
    • Health NZAvoid pre-prepared or pre-packaged fruit or vegetable salads incl. buffets and salad bars.Source
    Washing the cabbage and carrot
    • Health NZWash and dry all fresh fruit and vegetables well just before eating.Source
    Coleslaw with homemade mayonnaise
    • MPI (NZ Food Safety)Avoid raw eggs (smoothies, mayonnaise, mousse).Source
    • Health NZRaw eggs in eggnog, smoothies, home-made mayonnaise, mousse, tiramisu etc: don't eat; no pasteurised-egg exception.Source

  • Ireland

    • Ready-made coleslaw from a shop, deli or salad barCheck
    • Coleslaw from a restaurant or fast-food chain, like KFCCheck
    • Coleslaw made fresh at home with jar mayonnaiseNo known issues
    Washing the cabbage and carrot
    • HSEWash all fruit, vegetables and pre-packed salads before eating.Source
    Coleslaw with homemade mayonnaise
    • HSEAvoid foods made with raw or under-cooked eggs, e.g. homemade mayonnaise; cook eggs thoroughly.Source
    • HSEAvoid foods made with raw or under-cooked eggs, such as homemade mayonnaise.Source
What to check

Before you eat coleslaw.

  1. Skip ready-made coleslaw in the US, Australia and New Zealand

    The CDC lists premade deli salads such as coleslaw among the foods to avoid, and NSW Health says not to eat pre-packed cold salads, including coleslaw, from shops, buffets or salad bars. Health NZ names pre-prepared or pre-packaged vegetable salads. CDC

  2. In the UK, keep it chilled and within its use-by date

    The NHS says the listeria risk from pre-packaged salads is low, and asks you to keep them chilled and eat them before the use-by date. A tub left out of the fridge, or past its date, doesn't meet that. NHS

  3. Make it at home with washed vegetables

    The CDC lists homemade deli salads as the choice to make instead of premade ones. Wash the cabbage and carrot under running water before you shred them: all six countries ask you to wash raw vegetables in pregnancy. CDC

  4. Use jar mayonnaise, not homemade

    Homemade mayonnaise is made with raw egg. Ireland's HSE asks you to avoid foods made with raw or under-cooked eggs, such as homemade mayonnaise. Doola Scan shows No known issues for jar mayonnaise in all six countries. HSE

Questions

About coleslaw
in pregnancy.

Because of listeria. The CDC lists premade deli salads such as coleslaw among the foods to avoid in pregnancy, and Better Health Channel in Australia advises against pre-prepared salads and other cold foods that won't be reheated. Health NZ names pre-prepared and pre-packaged vegetable salads.

Doola Scan shows Check in the UK. The NHS says some ready-to-eat foods like pre-packaged salads may contain listeria, though the risk is low, and asks you to keep them chilled and eat them before the use-by date.

Doola Scan reads coleslaw from a fast-food chain, KFC included, like any ready-made coleslaw: Avoid in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, and Check in the UK. The CDC's advice covers premade deli salads, and Health NZ's covers pre-prepared salads.

The CDC lists homemade deli salads as the choice to make instead of premade ones, and FSANZ asks for salads to be freshly prepared. Doola Scan shows No known issues for cabbage, carrot and jar mayonnaise; wash the vegetables first, and use shop mayonnaise rather than homemade.

Jar mayonnaise gets No known issues in Doola Scan in all six countries. Homemade mayonnaise is made with raw egg: Australia, New Zealand and Ireland advise against it, and the NHS accepts it only if made with British Lion or Laid in Britain eggs.

The guidance is about avoiding ready-made coleslaw from here on; it doesn't ask you to do anything about coleslaw already eaten. If you feel unwell or are worried, call your midwife or doctor; in the UK, the NHS says to call 111 if you have symptoms of listeriosis.

The guidance doesn't change by trimester. Each country's advice on ready-made salads applies all through pregnancy.

Health NZ and NSW Health name pre-prepared salads from buffets and salad bars among the foods to avoid. Doola Scan reads coleslaw from a salad bar or buffet like shop coleslaw: Avoid in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, and Check in the UK.

Yes. Take a photo of the plate, the menu or the label, and Doola Scan checks every ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance, so you see your own country's rule for coleslaw. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
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Point Doola at a plate, a menu or a label. It checks every ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance and shows its sources. Food scans are free, 3 a day.

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Doola shows what official guidance says; it never diagnoses. No known issues means none of these countries' pregnancy guidance names it, not a promise that a food is safe.