Cured ham when pregnant: advised against, even when aged for a long time
The short answer
No, raw cured ham is not advised during pregnancy, unless it is cooked through in a hot dish. Manger Bouger lists dry-cured ham among the foods to avoid, along with dry sausage. Whether it is Bayonne, Parma, serrano or Iberian ham, it is raw, salted and dried meat, which exposes you to toxoplasmosis and listeriosis. Salting and curing, even for a long time, do not guarantee that these are destroyed; cooking does. Cooked ham, on the other hand, is allowed, provided you heat it up.
These guidelines follow the official French recommendations. If in doubt, your midwife or doctor can advise you.
The two risks of cured ham
- Toxoplasmosis: the parasite Toxoplasma gondii can be present in pork. In a pregnant woman who is not immune, the infection can reach the foetus. The blood test at the start of pregnancy shows whether you are immune; if not, a blood test is repeated every month, and raw or undercooked meat should be avoided throughout pregnancy.
- Listeriosis: Listeria monocytogenes can contaminate cured meats when they are sliced and multiplies in the cold. The infection is rare, fewer than fifty cases a year in pregnant women in France according to Santé publique France, but serious. This risk concerns all pregnant women, even those immune to toxoplasmosis.
The curing time, which can exceed a year for some Iberian hams, is sometimes put forward to claim that cured ham is risk-free. The French authorities make no exception: all dry-cured hams are advised against during pregnancy.
Toxoplasmosis: why most pregnant women are concerned
The precaution on cured ham is aimed first at pregnant women who are not immune to toxoplasmosis. And they are now a large majority. According to the Santé publique France national survey carried out in 2021 among 12,612 women, only 25.9% had already encountered the parasite, and were therefore protected. In other words, about three pregnant women in four are not immune.
The same survey found that 0.22% of women had contracted toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. For these non-immune women, a blood test is done every month until delivery, in order to detect an infection and treat it as early as possible. Seroprevalence varies widely by region: it exceeds 33% in French Guiana, 35% in La Réunion and reaches 75% in Mayotte.
Your blood test at the start of pregnancy tells you which group you are in. But even if you are immune, cured ham remains advised against: the risk of listeriosis concerns all pregnant women.
Toxoplasma in pigs: what the tests show
The risk of toxoplasmosis is not theoretical. In its reference sheet on Toxoplasma gondii, updated in 2021, Anses reports the results of tests carried out on farm animals in France:
| Animals | Share of animals carrying antibodies |
|---|---|
| Piglets reared indoors, 2013 | 2.5% |
| Outdoor-reared fattening pigs, 2013 | 6.3% |
| Cattle of French origin, 2009 | 11% |
| Lambs, 2007 | 17.7% |
| Adult sheep, 2007 | 89% |
Anses specifies that live parasites have been found on pig, cattle and sheep carcasses. One detail is telling: pigs reared outdoors are more often carriers than those reared in buildings, probably because they are more exposed to the soil, where the forms of the parasite shed by cats survive. Quality hams, from outdoor-reared pigs such as some Iberian hams, are therefore not safer on this point, quite the opposite. The only reliable protection remains cooking, or freezing at −12 °C right through for at least three days, which destroys Toxoplasma but not Listeria.
The ham traffic light
| Form | Pregnant | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cured ham: Bayonne, Parma, serrano, Iberian, Black Forest | 🔴 avoid | raw dried meat |
| Smoked cured ham | 🔴 avoid | smoking does not cook the meat |
| Melon with cured ham, nibbles platter | 🔴 avoid | cured ham; raw vegetables to be washed |
| Pizza with cured ham added after baking | 🔴 avoid | not cooked |
| Oven-cooked cured ham: on a pizza baked with it, in a gratin, in saltimbocca | 🟢 allowed | cooked through, served hot |
| Cured ham pan-fried into crisps, nice and crunchy | 🟢 allowed | heated through |
| Cooked ham, cold | 🟠 with conditions | Manger Bouger advises heating it up |
| Hot cooked ham: croque-monsieur, gratin, quiche | 🟢 allowed | heated up |
What ham recalls show
The public RappelConso database lets us measure the Listeria risk across the different hams, from 2021 to September 2026:
| Type of ham | Recall notices | Of which for Listeria |
|---|---|---|
| Cured or dry-cured hams: Bayonne, Parma, serrano, Iberian, country ham, speck | 34 | 26 |
| Cooked hams: white, superior, cloth-wrapped, on the bone, braised | 130 | 98 |
| Parsley ham, ham in jelly | 24 | 7 |
The most striking figure concerns cooked ham: it is the one with the most recalls for Listeria. It is cooked in the factory, but then sliced, packed and kept cold for days, and Listeria can contaminate the product at these stages and then multiply in it. This is exactly why Manger Bouger advises heating up cooked ham during pregnancy: croque-monsieur, gratin, quiche or pan-fried, until piping hot.
All hams put under the microscope
| Ham | Pregnant | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cured hams: Bayonne, Parma, San Daniele, serrano, Iberian, from Savoie, from Auvergne | 🔴 avoid raw | raw dried meat; no exception by designation or curing |
| Speck, Black Forest ham, smoked cured hams | 🔴 avoid raw | smoking does not cook |
| Bresaola, Grisons meat | 🔴 avoid | raw dried beef |
| Parsley ham, ham in jelly | 🔴 avoid | products in jelly advised against |
| Cooked ham, cloth-wrapped, on the bone, cold | 🟠 heat up | cooked cold cut kept cold |
| Sliced turkey or chicken breast, cold | 🟠 heat up | same logic as cooked ham |
| All hams cooked through in a hot dish | 🟢 allowed | cooking destroys Toxoplasma and Listeria |
For other cases, such as dry sausage or freezing, see our full guide on cured meats when pregnant.
What cured ham contains
| For | Calories | Protein | Salt | Saturated fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 slices of cured ham, 30 g | 72 kcal | 7.8 g | 1.70 g | 1.5 g |
| 100 g of cured ham | 239 kcal | 25.9 g | 5.67 g | 5.1 g |
| 100 g of superior cooked ham | 113 kcal | 21.0 g | 1.87 g | 1.1 g |
Cured ham is one of the saltiest cold cuts: 5.67 g of salt per 100 g, three times more than cooked ham. Two thin slices already provide a third of the 5 g of salt a day recommended by the WHO. Cooked ham also has half the calories and much less fat: during pregnancy, it is a better choice in every respect, once heated up.
Bayonne, Parma, coppa, bresaola: all the dried meats compared
On the label the names change; on the plate, it is always raw, salted and dried meat. Here is what they contain according to the Ciqual table:
| 100 g of | Calories | Protein | Fat | Salt | Pregnant, raw |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayonne ham | 243 kcal | 28.0 g | 12.6 g | 5.75 g | 🔴 avoid |
| Parma dry-cured ham | 248 kcal | 27.2 g | 15.4 g | 5.53 g | 🔴 avoid |
| Serrano dry-cured ham | 235 kcal | 30.4 g | 12.3 g | 5.02 g | 🔴 avoid |
| Smoked cured ham | 246 kcal | 24.2 g | 16.1 g | 5.17 g | 🔴 avoid |
| Coppa | 284 kcal | 25.0 g | 20.0 g | 5.30 g | 🔴 avoid |
| Bresaola, dried beef | 172 kcal | 32.8 g | 4.3 g | 5.15 g | 🔴 avoid |
| Grisons meat | 207 kcal | 38.9 g | 5.5 g | 3.83 g | 🔴 avoid |
Two observations. First, salt: all of them hover around 5 g per 100 g, whatever the origin. Second, bresaola and Grisons meat, which are leaner, are sometimes presented as « light » cold cuts. They are still raw dried beef: the same rule applies as for country ham.
Vacuum-packed, in trays, sliced to order: packaging changes nothing
Cured ham is sold in trays under protective atmosphere, vacuum-packed or sliced to order. None of these ways of selling it makes it safe during pregnancy. The Anses sheet on Listeria monocytogenes points out that the bacterium is a facultative anaerobe: it can do without oxygen, so vacuum packaging does not stop it. It can also grow from −2 °C, so in a fridge as well as in a refrigerated display.
The same sheet lists cooked cold cuts among the foods implicated in listeriosis outbreaks in France. This is why cooked ham, even when cooked in the factory, also has to be heated up during pregnancy.
The benchmark of 150 g of cold cuts a week
In its guide « De la grossesse à l’arrivée de bébé », Santé publique France sets a simple benchmark: limit cold cuts to 150 g a week, hams included, and favour those you cook yourself, such as sausages or black pudding. This ceiling applies to all permitted cold cuts, including heated-up cooked ham.
In concrete terms, 150 g of superior cooked ham provides 2.8 g of salt according to Ciqual, more than half of the 5 g a day recommended by the WHO, concentrated in a single food. The same weight of cured ham, once cooked in a dish, would provide 8.5 g.
Alternatives in numbers for your sandwiches and salads
| 100 g of | Calories | Protein | Salt | Iron | Pregnant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cured ham | 239 kcal | 25.9 g | 5.67 g | 0.97 mg | 🔴 raw; 🟢 cooked through |
| Superior cooked ham | 113 kcal | 21.0 g | 1.87 g | 0.54 mg | 🟢 heated up |
| Reduced-salt cooked ham | 121 kcal | 20.8 g | 1.48 g | not measured | 🟢 heated up |
| Sliced turkey breast | 99 kcal | 20.9 g | 1.90 g | 0.35 mg | 🟢 heated up |
| Homemade grilled chicken fillet | 141 kcal | 30.1 g | 0.14 g | 0.39 mg | 🟢 cooked through, eaten within 3 days |
The best substitute is not another cold cut: it is a chicken fillet cooked at home, sliced cold the next day. It provides more protein than cured ham, and 40 times less salt. Keep it in the fridge and finish it within three days, like all leftovers.
Useful nutrients during pregnancy
Ham provides protein, but the needs of pregnancy can be met without cured ham: well-cooked meat, cooked fish, well-cooked eggs, dairy products and pulses. For iron, see our guide to foods high in iron.
Melon and ham, figs, antipasti: the classics revisited
Cured ham is at the heart of many summer and nibbles dishes. Here is how to adapt them during pregnancy, without giving up sweet-and-salty flavours:
| Classic | Pregnant | Adapted version |
|---|---|---|
| Melon and cured ham | 🔴 avoid | melon with pasteurised feta or mozzarella, mint; or melon with pan-fried cured ham crisps, nice and crunchy |
| Figs and cured ham | 🔴 avoid raw | oven-roasted figs wrapped in cured ham, served hot |
| Asparagus with cured ham | 🔴 avoid raw | asparagus rolled in ham and baked in the oven until golden |
| Antipasti platter | 🔴 avoid | grilled vegetables, parmesan, olives, breadsticks |
| Saltimbocca, veal with cured ham and sage | 🟢 allowed | ham cooked with the meat, served hot |
Be careful with our own rocket, fig and ham salad recipe: it uses 80 g of cured ham, added raw. During pregnancy, replace it with pan-fried ham crisps or parmesan shavings, and wash the rocket and figs thoroughly.
Ideas for safe dishes
- A croque-monsieur with cooked ham, served hot.
- Chicory with ham, baked in a gratin: see our braised chicory.
- A pizza with cured ham cooked with the base, served hot.
- Cured ham crisps, pan-fried until crunchy, on a soup or a salad.
For other cold cuts, see our guides on cured meats when pregnant, chorizo when pregnant and raclette when pregnant.
And while breastfeeding?
While breastfeeding, the precautions against toxoplasmosis and listeriosis specific to pregnancy no longer apply: cured ham becomes possible again, with moderation for the salt. See our guide on eating while breastfeeding.
Frequently asked questions
Can you eat cured ham when pregnant?
No: dry-cured ham is advised against during pregnancy. Cooked through in a hot dish, it is possible.
Is long-aged Parma ham allowed when pregnant?
No: the authorities make no exception according to the curing time.
Can you eat cured ham if you are immune to toxoplasmosis?
No: the risk of listeriosis remains, and it concerns all pregnant women.
Is cooked ham allowed when pregnant?
Yes, heated up, as Manger Bouger advises: in a croque-monsieur, a gratin, a quiche.
I ate cured ham while pregnant, what should I do?
The risk from a one-off occasion is low. Tell your doctor or midwife if you get a fever; if you are not immune to toxoplasmosis, your monthly blood test follow-up will allow a check.
Is Iberian ham from outdoor-reared pigs safer?
No: according to Anses, outdoor-reared pigs are more often carriers of Toxoplasma, 6.3% against 2.5% for piglets reared indoors. Curing does not change the rule.
Is parsley ham allowed when pregnant?
No: it is a cooked ham in jelly, and products in jelly are among the cold cuts advised against. It has had 7 recalls for Listeria since 2021.
Why heat up cooked ham if it is already cooked?
Because it can be contaminated after cooking, during slicing and packing: 98 cooked ham recalls for Listeria since 2021. Heating it until piping hot destroys the bacterium.
Is bresaola allowed when pregnant?
No: it is raw salted and dried beef, like Grisons meat.
How much cooked ham a week during pregnancy?
Santé publique France advises limiting cold cuts to 150 g a week in total, cooked ham included, and heating it up before eating it.
Is vacuum-packed cured ham safer when pregnant?
No. According to Anses, Listeria can grow without oxygen and from −2 °C: vacuum packing does not stop it from multiplying.
Is coppa allowed when pregnant?
No, raw: it is salted and dried pork, like dry-cured ham. Cooked through in a hot dish, it is possible.
Is reduced-salt cooked ham better when pregnant?
It contains a little less salt, 1.48 g against 1.87 g per 100 g according to Ciqual, but the rule does not change: heat it up, and count it within the week’s 150 g of cold cuts.
Can you eat it when pregnant? The series
Food by food, what is allowed, allowed with conditions or to be avoided during pregnancy: cheesecake when pregnant, foie gras when pregnant, feta when pregnant, mozzarella when pregnant, raclette when pregnant, surimi when pregnant, cured meats when pregnant, smoked salmon when pregnant, tiramisu when pregnant, chorizo when pregnant, taramasalata when pregnant, honey when pregnant, camembert and brie when pregnant, prawns when pregnant, soft-boiled egg when pregnant, sushi when pregnant, hummus when pregnant, tinned tuna when pregnant.
Our sources
- Manger Bouger (Santé publique France), « Quels aliments éviter et quelles précautions prendre quand on est enceinte ? », updated 2026.
- Santé publique France, 1000 premiers jours site: « Les précautions alimentaires pendant la grossesse ».
- Ameli, foods to avoid during pregnancy; toxoplasmosis: prevention measures.
- Santé publique France, listeriosis surveillance data.
- Ciqual 2025 table (Anses): cured ham, superior cooked ham. WHO: less than 5 g of salt a day.
- Anses, fiche de description de danger biologique: Toxoplasma gondii, updated May 2021; Listeria monocytogenes, updated April 2020.
- RappelConso, public product recall dataset (data.economie.gouv.fr), hams, 2021 to September 2026.
- Santé publique France, estimation of the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in France, 2021.
- Santé publique France, guide « De la grossesse à l’arrivée de bébé » (Manger Bouger, ref. DT05-535-26B): cold cuts limited to 150 g a week, favouring those you cook yourself; dry-cured ham advised against.
- Anses, fiche de description de danger biologique transmissible par les aliments: Listeria monocytogenes, saisine 2016-SA-0081, updated April 2020: facultative anaerobic bacterium, growth from −2 to 45 °C, cooked cold cuts among the foods implicated in France.
- Ciqual 2025 table (Anses): Bayonne ham, Parma ham, serrano ham, smoked cured ham, coppa, bresaola, Grisons meat, reduced-salt cooked ham, turkey breast, grilled chicken fillet.
