Doola
Download app now

Can I eat roast beef while pregnant?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Roast beef cooked at home and served hot isn't on the pregnancy food lists of the six countries, so Doola Scan shows No known issues; the FDA's number for beef roasts is 145°F with a 3-minute rest. Sliced deli roast beef, as in a sandwich, is different: it shows Check in the US, UK, Canada and Ireland, where the check is heating it until steaming hot, and Avoid in Australia and New Zealand, which advise against cold deli meats. How pink the middle can be depends on the country.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Roast beef or pot roast cooked at home and served hot

    No known issuesIn all six countries

  • Sliced deli roast beef, as in a sandwich

    CheckUnited StatesUnited KingdomCanadaIrelandAvoidAustraliaNew Zealand
Doola Scan checking a plate
What each country says

Roast beef while pregnant: what each country says.

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

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

  • United States

    • Roast beef or pot roast cooked at home and served hotNo known issues
    • Sliced deli roast beef, as in a sandwichCheck
    • FDAListeria grows at fridge temperatures; heating kills it.Source
    • FoodSafety.gov (HHS)Reheat hot dogs, deli meats and fermented or dry sausage to steaming hot or 165°F.Source
    • USDA FSISPregnant mothers should avoid deli meats and hot dogs not heated to 165°F.Source
    Leftover roast beef
    • FDAReheating kills bacteria that grow during storage.Source
    • FDARefrigerate within 2 hours, keep cooked meat or poultry leftovers 3 to 4 days, reheat leftovers to 165°F.Source

  • United Kingdom

    • Roast beef or pot roast cooked at home and served hotNo known issues
    • Sliced deli roast beef, as in a sandwichCheck
    • NHSCold cured meats (salami, pepperoni, chorizo, prosciutto) should be cooked until steaming hot.Source
    Leftover roast beef
    • FSAFridge within 2 hours, eat within 48 hours, reheat only once until steaming hot throughout.Source
    • FSABacteria grow if food is warmed rather than heated through.Source

  • Canada

    • Roast beef or pot roast cooked at home and served hotNo known issues
    • Sliced deli roast beef, as in a sandwichCheck
    • CPSAvoid uncooked hot dogs and non-dried deli meats.Source
    • Health CanadaHot dogs not straight from pack - heat to 74 °C; avoid non-dried deli meats (bologna, roast beef, turkey) unless steaming hot.Source
    Leftover roast beef
    • Health CanadaRefrigerate within 2 hours, eat within 2 to 3 days, reheat to 74°C.Source
    • Health CanadaEat refrigerated leftovers within 2 to 3 days; reheat to 74°C.Source

  • Australia

    • Roast beef or pot roast cooked at home and served hotNo known issues
    • Sliced deli roast beef, as in a sandwichAvoid
    • NSW HealthDo not eat cold deli meats.Source
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Deli meats only if further cooked or heated.Source
    • FSANZAvoid unpackaged deli-counter and packaged sliced cold meats unless freshly cooked or reheated steaming hot.Source
    • NSW Food AuthorityProcessed meats only if cooked to at least 75°C and eaten soon after.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Processed meats only if cooked to at least 75°C and eaten straight away.Source
    Leftover roast beef
    • NSW Food AuthorityLeftovers in the fridge, eaten within a day and reheated to at least 60°C.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Leftovers: fridge, reheat thoroughly, not more than one day old.Source
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Avoid leftover meats refrigerated more than a day unless reheated.Source
    • FSANZVulnerable people: eat refrigerated leftovers within 1 day; reheat to 75 °C steaming hot.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Store leftovers in the fridge and use them within a day of cooking.Source

  • New Zealand

    • Roast beef or pot roast cooked at home and served hotNo known issues
    • Sliced deli roast beef, as in a sandwichAvoid
    • Health NZAvoid cold meats from deli counters and sandwich bars, and packaged sliced ready-to-eat meats.Source
    Leftover roast beef
    • Health NZLeftovers: fridge, eat within two days, reheat until piping hot (over 70°C); never eat cold.Source
    • Health NZStore leftover cooked or canned food in fridge and use within 2 days (Health NZ listeriosis page: 24 hours).Source
What to check

Before you eat roast beef.

  1. Heat deli roast beef until steaming hot

    Health Canada names roast beef among the non-dried deli meats to avoid unless they're heated until steaming hot. FoodSafety.gov asks pregnant women to reheat deli meats to steaming hot or 165°F. Health Canada

  2. In Australia and New Zealand, skip cold sliced roast beef

    Health NZ advises avoiding cold meats from deli counters and sandwich bars, and packaged sliced ready-to-eat meats. FSANZ asks you to avoid deli-counter and packaged sliced cold meats unless freshly cooked or reheated until steaming hot. Health NZ

  3. Check a home roast with a thermometer

    The FDA asks for beef roasts to reach 145°F inside, then rest for 3 minutes before you cut. Health Canada's chart for whole cuts of beef reads 63°C (145°F) for medium-rare, 71°C (160°F) for medium and 77°C (170°F) for well done. FDA

  4. Keep leftovers cold and reheat them once

    The UK Food Standards Agency asks for leftovers cooled and put in the fridge within 2 hours, eaten within 48 hours and reheated only once until steaming hot. In Australia, NSW Food Authority asks for leftovers eaten within a day. FSA

Questions

About roast beef
in pregnancy.

Home-cooked roast beef shows No known issues in Doola Scan in all six countries, and the FDA asks for 145°F inside with a 3-minute rest. Sliced deli roast beef shows Check in the US, UK, Canada and Ireland and Avoid in Australia and New Zealand.

A sandwich made with sliced deli roast beef gets the deli verdict: Check in the US, UK, Canada and Ireland and Avoid in Australia and New Zealand. A hot roast beef sandwich, with the meat heated until steaming, meets the line Health Canada and FoodSafety.gov set for deli meats.

None of these countries' pregnancy food lists names pot roast. It is a whole cut of beef cooked slowly in liquid, and the FDA's number for beef roasts is 145°F with a 3-minute rest. Roast beef cooked at home and served hot shows No known issues in Doola Scan.

The countries say different things. The FDA asks for 145°F, and Health Canada calls 63°C medium-rare. The NHS foods-to-avoid page accepts whole cuts of beef thoroughly cooked on the outside, while its healthy diet page asks for no pink meat; Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says not to eat rare meat, and Health NZ says never to eat rare or undercooked meat.

Leftovers show Check in all six countries. Health NZ asks for leftovers reheated until piping hot and never eaten cold, and the UK Food Standards Agency for them eaten within 48 hours.

Home-cooked roast beef served hot isn't on the six countries' pregnancy food lists. If you ate cold deli roast beef or rare meat and you're worried, or you feel unwell, talk to your midwife or doctor.

The guidance is the same in every trimester. The advice on deli meats and on cooking whole cuts applies from the first weeks of pregnancy to the last.

Yes. Take a photo of the menu, the pack or the plate, and Doola Scan checks the beef and every other ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
Doola Scan

Not sure about a meal? Scan it.

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.

Download app now
More foods
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.