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Can I eat medium rare steak while pregnant?

Avoid Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Medium rare steak shows Avoid in Doola Scan in all six countries, because each country's pregnancy guidance advises against rare or undercooked meat. The numbers differ: the FDA gives 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest for steaks, and Health Canada's chart lists 63°C as medium-rare for whole cuts. Australia asks for all meat cooked to at least 75°C, and New Zealand says never eat rare meat. Medium shows Check, and well done No known issues.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Medium rare steak, red and warm in the middle

    AvoidIn all six countries

  • Steak cooked medium, pink in the middle

    CheckIn all six countries

  • Steak cooked well done, no pink

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

Medium rare steak while pregnant: what each country says.

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

  • United States

    • Medium rare steak, red and warm in the middleAvoid
    • Steak cooked medium, pink in the middleCheck
    • Steak cooked well done, no pinkNo known issues
    • FDAUndercooked meat can carry toxoplasma and other harmful germs.Source
    • FoodSafety.gov (HHS)Cook meat and poultry to the USDA safe minimum internal temperature.Source
    • FDAAvoid eating or tasting raw or undercooked meat or poultry in pregnancy.Source
    • FDACook beef and lamb steaks, roasts and chops to 145°F internal with a 3-minute rest; rare or seared-outside only is not enough.Source

  • United Kingdom

    • Medium rare steak, red and warm in the middleAvoid
    • Steak cooked medium, pink in the middleCheck
    • Steak cooked well done, no pinkNo known issues
    • FSAMiddle of food should reach 70°C for 2 minutes (or 75°C for 30 seconds); steaks and joints may be pink inside.Source
    • NHSPoultry, pork and mince cooked with no pink or blood; whole beef/lamb cuts fine if thoroughly cooked on the outside.Source
    • NHSRaw meat can carry toxoplasma and food-poisoning bacteria.Source
    • NHSBacteria on whole cuts sit on the surface; inside may be pink.Source

  • Canada

    • Medium rare steak, red and warm in the middleAvoid
    • Steak cooked medium, pink in the middleCheck
    • Steak cooked well done, no pinkNo known issues
    • CPSAvoid raw or undercooked meat or poultry.Source
    • Health CanadaBeef/lamb whole cuts 63 °C (medium-rare) OK; pork and ground meat 71 °C; poultry pieces 74 °C, whole 82 °C.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid raw or undercooked meat, poultry and game like steak tartare.Source
    • Health CanadaWhole cuts of beef, veal, lamb: medium-rare 63°C internal (thermometer).Source

  • Australia

    • Medium rare steak, red and warm in the middleAvoid
    • Steak cooked medium, pink in the middleCheck
    • Steak cooked well done, no pinkNo known issues
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Cook all meat and poultry to at least 75°C and eat hot.Source
    • NSW Food AuthorityDo not eat any raw meat or poultry.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Do not eat raw or rare meat; cook all meat and poultry to at least 75 °C.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Do not eat raw or rare meat.Source

  • New Zealand

    • Medium rare steak, red and warm in the middleAvoid
    • Steak cooked medium, pink in the middleCheck
    • Steak cooked well done, no pinkNo known issues
    • Health NZCook meat until piping hot throughout and juices run clear; never rare; no temperature per cut.Source
    • Health NZAny raw meat or poultry: don't eat or taste.Source
    • Health NZNever eat rare or undercooked meat; cook until piping hot and juices run clear.Source

  • Ireland

    • Medium rare steak, red and warm in the middleAvoid
    • Steak cooked medium, pink in the middleCheck
    • Steak cooked well done, no pinkNo known issues
    • HSEAvoid raw or under-cooked meat.Source
    • HSEAvoid raw or under-cooked meat; cook all meat thoroughly. No whole-cut exception.Source
What to check

Before you eat medium rare steak.

  1. Check the middle with a thermometer

    The FDA asks for beef steaks to reach at least 145°F (63°C), with a 3-minute rest, and to check with a clean food thermometer pushed into the meat. Health Canada's chart reads 63°C for medium-rare, 71°C for medium and 77°C for well done. FDA

  2. In Australia and New Zealand, cook it further

    Pregnancy Birth and Baby says not to eat raw or rare meat, and to cook all meat to at least 75°C. Health NZ says never eat rare or undercooked meat, and to cook it until piping hot with the juices running clear. Pregnancy Birth and Baby

  3. In the UK and Ireland, cook the outside thoroughly

    The NHS lists whole cuts of beef and lamb, such as steaks, among foods you can eat when thoroughly cooked on the outside. Ireland's HSE lists raw or under-cooked meat among foods to avoid in pregnancy. NHS

Questions

About medium rare steak
in pregnancy.

Doola Scan shows Avoid in all six countries, because the guidance advises against rare or undercooked meat. The FDA's figure for steaks is 145°F with a 3-minute rest, and Health Canada calls 63°C medium-rare, so the countries read the same steak differently.

The FDA also says to avoid raw or undercooked meat in pregnancy, and Doola Scan reads medium rare as rare or undercooked meat. If you check the middle with a thermometer and it reads 145°F after a rest, that is the FDA's number.

The FDA says undercooked meat can carry toxoplasma and other harmful germs, and the NHS names toxoplasma and food-poisoning bacteria in raw meat. If you're worried after eating some, talk to your midwife or doctor.

Medium shows Check in all six countries, and well done shows No known issues. Australia's number is still at least 75°C for all meat.

The guidance is the same all through pregnancy. None of the six countries changes its meat cooking advice by trimester.

The NHS asks you to eat some protein-rich foods every day, and meat is one of them (but not liver). It suggests lean meat cooked without extra fat or oil.

Yes. Take a photo of the menu, and Doola Scan checks each dish against your country's pregnancy guidance, with what to ask the kitchen. Menu scans are part of Premium.
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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.