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Can I eat custard while pregnant?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Custard cooked at home, and ready-made custard, show No known issues in Doola Scan for all six countries; bakery custard tarts, egg tarts and custard slices show Check. What decides it is how the custard is cooked and kept. Australia's FSANZ names lightly cooked custard among egg foods that can carry salmonella, and commercial custard as a lower-risk choice. New Zealand's guidance says custard in pre-made cakes can carry listeria, and asks for home-made custard to be eaten hot, just after cooking.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Homemade custard, cooked until thick

    No known issuesIn all six countries

  • Ready-made custard from a carton, tin or the chiller

    No known issuesIn all six countries

  • Custard tarts, egg tarts and custard slices from a bakery

    CheckIn all six countries
Doola Scan checking a plate
What each country says

Custard while pregnant: what each country says.

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

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

  • United States

    • Homemade custard, cooked until thickNo known issues
    • Ready-made custard from a carton, tin or the chillerNo known issues
    • Custard tarts, egg tarts and custard slices from a bakeryCheck
    Custard made with unpasteurised (raw) milk
    • FDADo not drink raw milk or eat foods made with unpasteurized milk during pregnancy.Source
    • FoodSafety.gov (HHS)Avoid raw milk; only pasteurised milk and milk products.Source
    • USDA FSISNever drink raw milk.Source
    • FDADo not eat any cheese made with unpasteurized (raw) milk; no exception for hard or cooked cheese.Source
    • CDCAvoid raw-milk cheese unless heated to 165 F or until steaming hot.Source

  • United Kingdom

    • Homemade custard, cooked until thickNo known issues
    • Ready-made custard from a carton, tin or the chillerNo known issues
    • Custard tarts, egg tarts and custard slices from a bakeryCheck
    Custard made with unpasteurised (raw) milk
    • FSAPregnant women should not consume raw drinking milk or cream.Source
    • NHSRaw milk can carry listeria and other harmful bacteria.Source
    • NHSUnpasteurised dairy may contain listeria.Source

  • Canada

    • Homemade custard, cooked until thickNo known issues
    • Ready-made custard from a carton, tin or the chillerNo known issues
    • Custard tarts, egg tarts and custard slices from a bakeryCheck
    Custard made with unpasteurised (raw) milk
    • CPSAvoid unpasteurized milk, cheese and dairy products.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid raw or unpasteurized dairy products; choose pasteurized.Source
    • CPSAvoid unpasteurized cheese and dairy products.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid raw or unpasteurized dairy products, including uncooked hard cheese; cooked cheese is fine.Source

  • Australia

    • Homemade custard, cooked until thickNo known issues
    • Ready-made custard from a carton, tin or the chillerNo known issues
    • Custard tarts, egg tarts and custard slices from a bakeryCheck
    Custard made with unpasteurised (raw) milk
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Avoid unpasteurised milk and foods made from it.Source
    • FSANZAvoid raw milk and raw-milk cheeses; choose pasteurised dairy.Source
    • NSW Food AuthorityDo not drink or use unpasteurised (raw) dairy.Source
    • NSW HealthDo not eat unpasteurised milk or milk products.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Only dairy made from pasteurised milk.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Only dairy made from pasteurised milk; no cooked unpasteurised exception.Source
    • NSW Food AuthoritySoft and semi-soft cheeses only if cooked to at least 75°C.Source

  • New Zealand

    • Homemade custard, cooked until thickNo known issues
    • Ready-made custard from a carton, tin or the chillerNo known issues
    • Custard tarts, egg tarts and custard slices from a bakeryCheck
    • MPI (NZ Food Safety)Cream and custard in pre-made cakes can carry listeria.Source
    Custard made with unpasteurised (raw) milk
    • Health NZAvoid unpasteurised dairy products.Source
    • MPI (NZ Food Safety)Avoid raw milk, raw-milk cheeses and raw-milk yoghurts.Source

  • Ireland

    • Homemade custard, cooked until thickNo known issues
    • Ready-made custard from a carton, tin or the chillerNo known issues
    • Custard tarts, egg tarts and custard slices from a bakeryCheck
    Custard made with unpasteurised (raw) milk
    • HSEAvoid unpasteurised dairy (milk and cheese).Source
    • FSAIDo not drink raw milk without boiling it first.Source
What to check

Before you eat custard.

  1. Cook the eggs in it to 160°F (71°C)

    The FDA's advice is to use only recipes in which the eggs are cooked or heated to 160°F. Australia's FSANZ lists lightly cooked custard among higher-risk egg foods, and a food thermometer shows when it has reached the temperature. FDA

  2. Eat homemade custard hot, or reheat it until piping hot

    Health NZ asks for home-made custard to be eaten hot, straight after cooking. Leftovers should be reheated until piping hot, over 70°C, and eaten straight away. Health NZ

  3. Keep ready-made custard cold, and finish it within 2 days

    Health NZ asks for chilled, packaged custard to be kept in the fridge in its own packaging and eaten within two days of opening. Australia's FSANZ names commercial custard as a lower-risk choice than lightly cooked egg dishes. Health NZ

  4. Choose custard tarts and slices fresh

    New Zealand's MPI says cream and custard in pre-made cakes can carry listeria. Health NZ's advice is not to eat cakes with added custard unless the custard is home-made and fresh. MPI (NZ Food Safety)

  5. Make it with pasteurised milk

    The FDA lists unpasteurised (raw) milk as higher risk in pregnancy and pasteurised milk as the lower-risk choice. Doola Scan shows Avoid for custard made with raw milk in all six countries. FDA

Questions

About custard
in pregnancy.

The NHS says dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yoghurt are important in pregnancy, and custard is made with milk. The NHS also lists puddings among foods high in fat or sugar, to have less often and in small amounts.

Doola Scan shows Check for egg custard tarts in all six countries. New Zealand's MPI says custard in pre-made cakes and pastries can carry listeria, and Health NZ asks for them only when the custard is home-made and fresh.

None of these countries' pregnancy food lists names custard powder. Made up with pasteurised milk at home, Health NZ's advice for home-made custard applies: eat it hot, just after cooking, and reheat leftovers until piping hot.

Doola Scan shows No known issues for ready-made custard in all six countries. Australia's FSANZ names commercial custard as a lower-risk choice than lightly cooked egg dishes, and Pregnancy Birth and Baby says commercially made products with egg can be eaten if stored correctly.

Health NZ treats the two kinds differently. Chilled ready-made custard can be eaten cold within two days of opening the pack; home-made custard is eaten hot, just after cooking, and leftovers are reheated until piping hot.

Doola Scan shows Avoid for custard made with unpasteurised (raw) milk in all six countries. The FDA lists raw milk as higher risk in pregnancy and pasteurised milk as the lower-risk choice.

Doola Scan shows No known issues for custard cooked at home in the six countries it covers, and Check for bakery custard tarts. Health NZ asks for home-made custard to be eaten hot, just after cooking, and advises against unpasteurised milk.

Fruit custard isn't named in these countries' pregnancy food lists. Health NZ asks for fresh fruit to be washed and dried well just before eating, and for home-made custard to be eaten hot or reheated until piping hot.

Yes. Take a photo of the label, the menu or the plate, and Doola Scan checks each ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance. 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.