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Can I eat steak while pregnant?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Steak cooked well done shows No known issues in Doola Scan in all six countries; medium steak shows Check, and medium-rare or rare steak shows Avoid, so how it's cooked decides it. The FDA asks for beef steaks cooked to 145°F inside with a 3-minute rest, and Health Canada gives 63°C for medium-rare whole cuts. The NHS accepts whole cuts of beef thoroughly cooked on the outside, while Australia asks for all meat cooked to at least 75°C and New Zealand says never eat rare meat.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Steak cooked well done, no pink

    No known issuesIn all six countries

  • Steak cooked medium well, a little pink

    No known issuesIn all six countries

  • Steak cooked medium, pink in the middle

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

Steak while pregnant: what each country says.

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

  • United States

    • Steak cooked well done, no pinkNo known issues
    • Steak cooked medium well, a little pinkNo known issues
    • Steak cooked medium, pink in the middleCheck
    • 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
    Steak tartare and other raw beef
    • FDAAvoid eating or tasting raw or undercooked meat or poultry in pregnancy.Source
    Medium-rare or rare steak, red in the middle
    • 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

  • United Kingdom

    • Steak cooked well done, no pinkNo known issues
    • Steak cooked medium well, a little pinkNo known issues
    • Steak cooked medium, pink in the middleCheck
    • NHSBacteria on whole cuts sit on the surface; inside may be pink.Source
    Steak tartare and other raw beef
    • NHSRaw meat can carry toxoplasma and food-poisoning bacteria.Source
    Medium-rare or rare steak, red in the middle
    • 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

  • Canada

    • Steak cooked well done, no pinkNo known issues
    • Steak cooked medium well, a little pinkNo known issues
    • Steak cooked medium, pink in the middleCheck
    • Health CanadaWhole cuts of beef, veal, lamb: medium-rare 63°C internal (thermometer).Source
    Steak tartare and other raw beef
    • CPSAvoid raw or undercooked meat or poultry.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid raw or undercooked meat, poultry and game like steak tartare.Source
    Medium-rare or rare steak, red in the middle
    • 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

  • Australia

    • Steak cooked well done, no pinkNo known issues
    • Steak cooked medium well, a little pinkNo known issues
    • Steak cooked medium, pink in the middleCheck
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Do not eat raw or rare meat.Source
    Steak tartare and other raw beef
    • 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
    Medium-rare or rare steak, red in the middle
    • 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

  • New Zealand

    • Steak cooked well done, no pinkNo known issues
    • Steak cooked medium well, a little pinkNo known issues
    • Steak cooked medium, pink in the middleCheck
    • Health NZNever eat rare or undercooked meat; cook until piping hot and juices run clear.Source
    Steak tartare and other raw beef
    • Health NZAny raw meat or poultry: don't eat or taste.Source
    Medium-rare or rare steak, red in the middle
    • 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

  • Ireland

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

Before you eat steak.

  1. Use a meat thermometer in the thickest part

    Health Canada's chart for whole cuts of beef, veal and lamb reads 63°C (145°F) for medium-rare, 71°C (160°F) for medium and 77°C (170°F) for well done. The middle of the steak is where to read it. Health Canada

  2. In the US, 145°F and a 3-minute rest

    The FDA asks for beef and lamb steaks, roasts and chops to reach 145°F inside, then rest for 3 minutes. Searing only the outside of a rare steak doesn't meet it. FDA

  3. In Australia and New Zealand, cook it through

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

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

    The NHS lists whole cuts of beef and lamb, such as steaks, thoroughly cooked on the outside among foods you can have. Ireland's HSE asks for all meat to be cooked thoroughly and lists raw or under-cooked meat among foods to avoid. NHS

Questions

About steak
in pregnancy.

Doola Scan shows Avoid for medium-rare and rare steak in all six countries, reading them as undercooked meat. Health Canada's chart does give 63°C (145°F) for medium-rare whole cuts, and the FDA's number is 145°F with a rest, so a thermometer is the way to know what you have.

Well-done steak shows No known issues in all six countries, and so does medium well. Australia still gives at least 75°C for all meat, which a thermometer confirms.

Steak tartare shows Avoid in all six countries. Health Canada names steak tartare among raw or undercooked meats to avoid, and the FDA asks you not to eat or taste raw or undercooked meat in pregnancy.

Health NZ says red meat such as lean beef and lamb are the best sources of iron. It asks for meat cooked until piping hot and the juices run clear.

Yes. The FDA asks for ground meat cooked to 160°F, higher than steak. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby asks for no pink left in minced meat, including burgers.

You can ask for it cooked to your country's line: 145°F with a rest in the US, at least 75°C in Australia. If you can't check, medium well or well done shows No known issues in Doola Scan in all six countries.

The guidance is the same in every trimester. Each country's cooking line applies from the first weeks of pregnancy to the last.

Yes. Take a photo of the menu or the plate, and Doola Scan checks each dish against your country's pregnancy guidance, with what to ask the kitchen. 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.