Can you eat bacon while pregnant?
Yes, you can eat bacon while pregnant if it is cooked through, since FoodSafety.gov says all meat should be thoroughly cooked in pregnancy. CDC notes that curing, smoking or drying pork alone does not reliably kill Trichinella worms.
This page covers food safety in pregnancy. The same advice applies to other people at higher risk of foodborne illness: older adults, young children and people with weakened immune systems. If your doctor has given you a specific diet, follow it.
What FoodSafety.gov, CDC and USDA FSIS say
How to cook or handle it
- Level E FoodSafety.gov:
All meat and poultry should be thoroughly cooked before eating.
FoodSafety.gov, People at Risk: Pregnant Women, accessed 2026-10-12 - Level E FoodSafety.gov:
Pork Steaks, roasts, chops 145°F (63°C) Rest time: 3 minutes
(Safe Minimum Internal Temperature chart row (cells joined by a space)) FoodSafety.gov, Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures, accessed 2026-10-12 - Level E USDA FSIS:
Cook all food to these minimum internal temperatures, as measured with a food thermometer, before removing food from the heat source.
USDA FSIS, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart, accessed 2026-10-12
Why the advice exists
- Level E CDC:
Curing (salting), drying, smoking, or microwaving meat alone does not consistently kill the worms.
CDC, Trichinellosis Prevention, accessed 2026-10-12 - Level E CDC:
Most Yersinia infections happen by eating contaminated food, especially raw or undercooked pork.
CDC, Yersinia Prevention, accessed 2026-10-12
Word-for-word quotes from official US sources. Level E means the position of an expert body. How we grade evidence.
What studies found
- Level C Observational data link eating raw or undercooked meat, including sausages and salami, to 1.2 to 1.3 times the risk of Toxoplasma gondii infection compared with thoroughly cooked meat. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis, 2021
Levels: A is a meta-analysis of trials, B a randomized trial, C an observational study, D lab or animal work, E an expert position. How we grade evidence.
In practice
Cook it until it is done all the way through. Bacon is cured pork, and CDC says curing, smoking or drying alone do not reliably kill Trichinella worms.
Toxoplasma is another reason to cook meat through. Observational data link raw or undercooked meat, including sausages and salami, to 1.2 to 1.3 times the risk of Toxoplasma infection compared with thoroughly cooked meat (Level C).
Turkey bacon counts too. FoodSafety.gov's advice for pregnancy covers all meat and poultry: cook it thoroughly before eating.
Evidence behind this note
- Level C Observational data link eating raw or undercooked meat, including sausages and salami, to 1.2 to 1.3 times the risk of Toxoplasma gondii infection compared with thoroughly cooked meat. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis, 2021
Written from the agency positions and data on this page, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.
Keep exploring
Sources
- FoodSafety.gov, People at Risk: Pregnant Women, https://www.foodsafety.gov/people-at-risk/pregnant-women (accessed 2026-10-12)
- CDC, Trichinellosis Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/trichinellosis/prevention/index.html (accessed 2026-10-12)
- CDC, Yersinia Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/yersinia/prevention/index.html (accessed 2026-10-12)
- FoodSafety.gov, Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures, https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/safe-minimum-internal-temperatures (accessed 2026-10-12)
- USDA FSIS, Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart, https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/safe-temperature-chart (accessed 2026-10-12)
- Evidence cards: each study above links to its source. Card review dates are listed in our methodology.
Agency pages checked 2026-10-12. Bioma Learn provides information, not medical advice.