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Can I eat Spam while pregnant?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Spam fried or heated until steaming hot shows Check in Doola Scan in all six countries; cold from the can, it shows Check in the US, UK, Canada and Ireland and Avoid in Australia and New Zealand. Doola Scan reads Spam as a luncheon meat. The FDA asks for luncheon and deli meats to be heated to 165°F or until steaming hot, because listeria can grow at fridge temperatures, and Pregnancy, Birth and Baby asks for processed meats cooked to at least 75°C and eaten straight away.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Spam fried or heated until steaming hot

    CheckIn all six countries

  • Spam musubi

    CheckIn all six countries

  • Cold Spam straight from the can

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

Spam while pregnant: what each country says.

Each country's own pregnancy guidance on Spam, 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

    Check
    • FDAAvoid cold cuts and deli meats unless reheated until steaming hot (not just chilled and in date).Source
    • 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

  • United Kingdom

    Check
    • NHSChilled ready-to-eat meats can carry listeria.Source
    • NHSCold cured meats (salami, pepperoni, chorizo, prosciutto) should be cooked until steaming hot.Source

  • Canada

    Check
    • CPSAvoid non-dried deli meats (UK: fine if chilled and in date).Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid refrigerated non-dried deli meats unless heated until steaming hot.Source
    • 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

  • Australia

    • Spam fried or heated until steaming hotCheck
    • Spam musubiCheck
    • Cold Spam straight from the canAvoid
    • FSANZAvoid cold RTE meats incl. packaged sliced meats and cold pre-cooked chicken; hot takeaway chicken OK if eaten immediately.Source
    • NSW HealthDo not eat pre-cooked cold chicken.Source
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Cold pre-cooked meats and chicken only if further cooked or heated.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)No cold ready-to-eat meats or cold cooked chicken unless heated to 75°C and eaten straight away.Source
    • 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
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Processed meats only if cooked to at least 75°C and eaten straight away.Source

  • New Zealand

    • Spam fried or heated until steaming hotCheck
    • Spam musubiCheck
    • Cold Spam straight from the canAvoid
    • MPI (NZ Food Safety)Avoid cold cooked or smoked chicken and chilled RTE deli/buffet foods unless heated piping hot.Source
    • Health NZAvoid cold meats from deli counters and sandwich bars, and packaged sliced ready-to-eat meats.Source
What to check

Before you eat Spam.

  1. Fry or heat Spam until steaming hot

    The FDA says listeria grows at fridge temperatures and heating kills it, and asks for hot dogs, luncheon and deli meats heated to 165°F or until steaming hot. FDA

  2. Eat it straight after heating

    Pregnancy, Birth and Baby asks for processed meats cooked to at least 75°C and eaten straight away. Fried Spam left to go cold in a lunchbox no longer meets that, and in Australia and New Zealand cold Spam shows Avoid. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby

  3. Read the can for sodium

    On a US label, the FDA counts 5% Daily Value of sodium or less per serving as low and 20% or more as high. The NHS says adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day. FDA

Questions

About Spam
in pregnancy.

Spam musubi shows Check in Doola Scan in all six countries. The guidance asks for luncheon meat heated until steaming hot and eaten soon after, so a musubi made fresh with hot Spam is closer to it than one that has sat in a fridge.

Spam fried or heated until steaming hot shows Check in all six countries, the closest to what the guidance asks for. The FDA's number for luncheon meats is 165°F, and Pregnancy, Birth and Baby's is at least 75°C, eaten straight away.

Cold Spam shows Check in the US, UK, Canada and Ireland and Avoid in Australia and New Zealand. Health NZ advises against packaged sliced ready-to-eat meats, and FSANZ asks for cold ready-to-eat meats to be avoided unless reheated until steaming hot.

None of these countries' pregnancy food lists names Spam fried rice or budae jjigae. Doola Scan reads the Spam in them: cooked in the dish until steaming hot, it shows Check in all six countries.

The guidance is the same in every trimester. Listeria guidance applies from the first weeks of pregnancy to the last: heat Spam until steaming hot all the way through.

The guidance is about lowering a small risk, not a sign that something is wrong. If you're worried, talk to your midwife or doctor.

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

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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.