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Can I eat Subway while pregnant?

1 to avoid5 to check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

At Subway, cold subs with turkey or other sliced deli meat show Check in Doola Scan in the US, UK, Canada and Ireland and Avoid in Australia and New Zealand. Ham, salami and pepperoni, as in the Italian B.M.T. and Cold Cut Combo, are Avoid in Ireland too. The tuna sub is Avoid in the US, Canada, Australia and Ireland. A sub with the meat heated until steaming hot, the meatball marinara and the veggie or chicken subs show Check in all six countries, for the heat, the mince or the raw salad.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Cold turkey or other sliced deli meat sub

    CheckUnited StatesUnited KingdomCanadaIrelandAvoidAustraliaNew Zealand

  • Italian B.M.T. or Cold Cut Combo with ham, salami or pepperoni

    CheckUnited StatesUnited KingdomCanadaAvoidAustraliaNew ZealandIreland

  • Any meat sub toasted, meat heated until steaming hot

    CheckIn all six countries

  • Tuna sub

    AvoidUnited StatesAustraliaCheckUnited KingdomCanadaNew ZealandIreland

  • Meatball marinara

    CheckIn all six countries

  • Veggie Delite or chicken sub with salad

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

Subway while pregnant: what each country says.

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

  • United States

    • Cold turkey or other sliced deli meat subCheck
    • Italian B.M.T. or Cold Cut Combo with ham, salami or pepperoniCheck
    • Any meat sub toasted, meat heated until steaming hotCheck
    • Tuna subAvoid
    • Meatball marinaraCheck
    • Veggie Delite or chicken sub with saladCheck
    • 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
    • FDAAvoid unwashed fresh vegetables, including lettuce and salads.Source
    • FDAAvoid cold cuts and deli meats unless reheated until steaming hot (not just chilled and in date).Source
    • FDAAvoid deli meats, fermented and dry sausage unless reheated until steaming hot.Source
    • FoodSafety.gov (HHS)Don't buy or eat premade ham, chicken or seafood salad from delis.Source
    • FDADeli salads made on site may carry listeria.Source
    • FDAUse a thermometer, not colour: ground meat 160°F, poultry 165°F, pork 145°F with 3-minute rest.Source

  • United Kingdom

    Check
    • NHSCold cured meats (salami, pepperoni, chorizo, prosciutto) should be cooked until steaming hot.Source
    • NHSSoil on produce can carry bacteria and toxoplasma.Source
    • NHSChilled ready-to-eat meats can carry listeria.Source
    • NHSCured meat may carry listeria or toxoplasma.Source
    • NHSPre-packaged sandwiches and salads: keep chilled and eat before the use-by date.Source
    • FSAPeople who are pregnant should only eat burgers that are thoroughly cooked (steaming hot, no pink, juices clear).Source
    • NHSUndercooked meat can carry toxoplasma, salmonella or E. coli.Source

  • Canada

    Check
    • 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
    • Health CanadaRinse delicate produce under cool running water; scrub firm produce.Source
    • 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
    • CPSOnly non-dried deli meats are listed; dried cured meats are not.Source
    • Health CanadaDried and salted deli meats such as salami and pepperoni are listed as SAFER alternatives (no cooking/freezing needed).Source
    • CPSAvoid raw or undercooked meat or poultry.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid raw or undercooked meat and poultry; cook to safe temperatures (thermometer, colour not reliable).Source

  • Australia

    • Cold turkey or other sliced deli meat subAvoid
    • Italian B.M.T. or Cold Cut Combo with ham, salami or pepperoniAvoid
    • Any meat sub toasted, meat heated until steaming hotCheck
    • Tuna subAvoid
    • Meatball marinaraCheck
    • Veggie Delite or chicken sub with saladCheck
    • 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
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Wash fruit, vegetables and herbs to remove soil (toxoplasma).Source
    • 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
    • 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
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Avoid ham, salami and fermented meats unless cooked or heated.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Avoid cold cured meats (salami, ham, luncheon meat) unless cooked to 75 °C and eaten straight away.Source
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Avoid pre-prepared salads that will not be reheated.Source
    • NSW Food AuthorityDo not eat pre-prepared or pre-packaged salads.Source
    • NSW HealthDo not eat pre-packed cold salads, including from buffets and salad bars.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Avoid pre-prepared or pre-packaged salads, including from buffets and salad bars.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)No pink in pork, sausages and mince incl. burgers.Source

  • New Zealand

    • Cold turkey or other sliced deli meat subAvoid
    • Italian B.M.T. or Cold Cut Combo with ham, salami or pepperoniAvoid
    • Any meat sub toasted, meat heated until steaming hotCheck
    • Tuna subCheck
    • Meatball marinaraCheck
    • Veggie Delite or chicken sub with saladCheck
    • Health NZAvoid cold meats from deli counters and sandwich bars, and packaged sliced ready-to-eat meats.Source
    • Health NZWash and dry all fresh fruit and vegetables well just before eating.Source
    • MPI (NZ Food Safety)Avoid cold cooked or smoked chicken and chilled RTE deli/buffet foods unless heated piping hot.Source
    • MPI (NZ Food Safety)Avoid processed meats (ham, pâté, salami, luncheon) in pregnancy.Source
    • Health NZPre-packaged and deli/salad-bar salads and coleslaws: don't eat; home-made salads OK if washed.Source
    • Health NZCook meat until piping hot and juices run clear; never rare or undercooked.Source

  • Ireland

    • Cold turkey or other sliced deli meat subCheck
    • Italian B.M.T. or Cold Cut Combo with ham, salami or pepperoniAvoid
    • Any meat sub toasted, meat heated until steaming hotCheck
    • Tuna subCheck
    • Meatball marinaraCheck
    • Veggie Delite or chicken sub with saladCheck
    • HSEWash all fruit, vegetables and pre-packed salads before eating.Source
    • HSEAvoid cold cured meats such as salami, parma ham, chorizo and pepperoni.Source
What to check

Before you eat Subway.

  1. Ask for the meat toasted until steaming hot

    FoodSafety.gov asks for deli meats reheated to 165°F or until steaming hot in pregnancy. The guidance is about the meat's temperature, not the bread's, so ask for the meat heated through. FoodSafety.gov

  2. In Australia and New Zealand, skip cold meat subs

    Health NZ advises avoiding cold meats from sandwich bars and packaged sliced ready-to-eat meats. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby asks for processed meats to be cooked to at least 75°C and eaten straight away. Health NZ

  3. Choose another filling than tuna mayo

    FoodSafety.gov says not to buy or eat premade seafood salad from delis in pregnancy, and Pregnancy, Birth and Baby asks you to avoid pre-prepared salads. In the UK, the NHS asks only that pre-packaged sandwiches and salads are kept chilled and eaten before their use-by date. FoodSafety.gov

  4. Treat the salad bar as raw salad

    Every country asks for raw vegetables and salad to be washed in pregnancy, and the FDA names lettuce. You can't wash a sub's lettuce and tomato yourself, so Doola Scan shows Check for subs that come with them. FDA

Questions

About Subway
in pregnancy.

The guidance is the same in every trimester. The deli meat, deli salad and raw salad advice applies from the first weeks of pregnancy to the last.

Subway isn't on any list; what the guidance names is cold deli meat and premade deli salads, because listeria can grow in them in the fridge. Subs with meat heated until steaming hot, meatballs or chicken show Check in all six countries.

Cold ham, salami and pepperoni show Check in the US, UK and Canada and Avoid in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. The NHS asks for cold cured meats such as salami to be cooked until steaming hot, so ask for the sub toasted through.

The meatball marinara shows Check in all six countries, under the guidance on mince. The FDA asks for ground meat cooked to 160°F, and the NHS for meat with no pink remaining.

It shows Avoid in the US, Canada, Australia and Ireland and Check in the UK and New Zealand, under the guidance on deli salads made ahead. FoodSafety.gov says not to buy or eat premade seafood salad from delis.

Doola can't confirm a chain's suppliers, so ask in store. Provolone, American, cheddar and Swiss show No known issues in Doola Scan in all six countries. The cheese guidance in these countries is about unpasteurised and soft cheeses.

A Veggie Delite shows Check in all six countries, only for its raw lettuce and tomato, which every country asks to be washed. Cucumber, onions, spinach and olives show No known issues.

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