Is Summer Sausage Safe During Pregnancy? (Updated 2026 Guide)
Updated July 19, 2026
The Answer
Summer sausage requires caution during pregnancy because ready to eat deli meats can carry Listeria. Eat it only after reheating it to 165°F, or until steaming hot, just before serving; otherwise, avoid it cold.
The main concern is foodborne exposure: summer sausage can become contaminated with Listeria even when it was cooked during production. Reheat it to 165°F just before eating, and remember that frequent processed meat intake also brings limited observational pregnancy concerns associated with curing ingredients such as sodium nitrite.
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✓ What's Safe
- • Summer sausage you can reheat to 165°F, or until steaming hot, immediately before eating
- • Sealed packaging that is undamaged and within its use by date
- • Clear refrigeration and storage directions on the label
- • Products with shorter ingredient lists and without unnecessary added colors or preservatives
- • Small portions eaten occasionally rather than frequent processed meat servings
✗ What to Avoid
- • Cold or room temperature summer sausage that has not been reheated just before serving
- • Packages that are torn, leaking, swollen, expired, or stored contrary to label directions
- • Leaving opened or sliced summer sausage unrefrigerated
- • Frequent intake of cured products containing sodium nitrite or sodium nitrate
- • Products containing added Red 3, artificial color, BHA, or BHT when simpler options are available
Most Common Ingredients in Summer Sausage Products
We analyzed 80 summer sausage products. Here are the most common ingredients, ranked by how often they appear:
Ingredients to Watch Out For in Summer Sausage
These are the most common flagged ingredients across 80 summer sausage products we analyzed.
sodium nitrite
CAUTION
Sodium nitrite is a curing salt and preservative used mainly in cured meats and some cured fish. Is regulated at low food additive levels, but frequent cured or processed meat intake has limited observational pregnancy concerns; cyanide antidote and contaminated water exposures are separate issues.
Found in 67 of 80 products (84%)
red 3
CAUTION
Red 3 is a synthetic cherry red food dye also known as FD&C Red No. 3 and E127. Has limited human pregnancy outcome data and is being phased out of U.S. foods and ingested drugs after high dose male rat thyroid tumor findings.
Found in 2 of 80 products (3%)
artificial color
CAUTION
Artificial color is a broad class of added synthetic color additives used in foods medicines and cosmetics. Has limited pregnancy specific outcome data; regulated incidental exposure is generally low concern but some dyes have child behavior allergy or regulatory caveats.
Found in 1 of 80 products (1%)
bha
CAUTION
Bha is a synthetic antioxidant preservative used to slow rancidity in fats and oils. Has limited pregnancy specific human data and normal regulated food use appears lower concern than high dose animal exposures that drove carcinogenicity classifications.
Found in 1 of 80 products (1%)
bht
CAUTION
Bht is a synthetic antioxidant used to stabilize cosmetics, oral care products and fatty foods. Has limited human pregnancy data, with low concern at reviewed cosmetic levels but reproductive and thyroid related findings in high dose oral animal studies.
Found in 1 of 80 products (1%)
fully hydrogenated vegetable oil
CAUTION
Fully hydrogenated vegetable oil is chemically hardened food oils used for texture and shelf life in processed foods. Mainly raise concern when partially hydrogenated and high in artificial trans fat; fully hydrogenated oils are mostly a saturated fat limit rather than the same trans fat issue.
Found in 1 of 80 products (1%)
sodium nitrate
CAUTION
Sodium nitrate is naturally occurring nitrogen compounds found in vegetables and drinking water and used in cured meats. Is context dependent because vegetable sources are generally compatible with pregnancy while contaminated well water above nitrate/nitrite limits can cause methemoglobinemia and has observational links to adverse birth outcomes.
Found in 1 of 80 products (1%)
Summer Sausage Products We've Analyzed
We graded 80 summer sausage products for pregnancy safety. 12 received an A grade.
Pregnancy Safe Summer Sausage Products
We found 12 pregnancy safe options. Here are some top picks.
| Grade | Product | Brand |
|---|---|---|
| A | Beef Summer Sausage | Hickory Farms |
| A | Old Fashioned Summer Sausage, Old Fashioned | Hempler'S |
| A | Beef Summer Sausage | — |
| A | Uncured Beef Summer Sausage | — |
| A | Beef Hardwood Smoked Summer Sausage, Beef | — |
Your Questions Answered
Can you eat summer sausage while pregnant?
Yes, but treat summer sausage like deli meat during pregnancy. Reheat it to 165°F, or until steaming hot, immediately before eating because ready to eat meats can carry Listeria. Avoid eating it cold, even if the package describes it as ready to eat.
Is summer sausage fully cooked?
Many summer sausages are cured, fermented, smoked, or cooked and sold as ready to eat, but processing varies. Check the package for preparation and storage instructions rather than assuming. Even a fully cooked product can be contaminated after processing, so reheat it to 165°F just before eating during pregnancy.
Can I have summer sausage while pregnant if other people say they ate it cold?
Personal experiences do not establish that cold summer sausage is safe. Listeria contamination is uncommon but cannot be detected by appearance, smell, or taste. The safer approach is to reheat the meat to 165°F, or until steaming hot, immediately before eating.
Does shelf stable summer sausage need to be reheated during pregnancy?
Shelf stability describes how an unopened product can be stored; it does not remove the pregnancy specific concern associated with ready to eat deli meats. Follow the package’s storage directions and reheat the sausage to 165°F just before serving. Refrigerate it after opening when the label instructs you to do so.
Are uncured summer sausages safer during pregnancy?
An “uncured” label does not address possible Listeria contamination or make the product safe to eat cold. It also does not necessarily mean the product contains no nitrate or nitrite sources. Regardless of the curing claim, reheat summer sausage to 165°F immediately before eating.
What ingredients should I consider when choosing summer sausage?
Sodium nitrite appeared in 67 of the 80 products we reviewed and is a curing preservative associated with limited observational concerns when cured or processed meats are eaten frequently. A few products also contained cautionary additives such as Red 3, artificial color, BHA, BHT, or sodium nitrate. Choose simpler formulations when practical and keep processed meat occasional.
Does the pregnancy trimester change the summer sausage guidance?
The food safety concern applies throughout pregnancy rather than only during one trimester. Reheat summer sausage to 165°F, or until steaming hot, just before eating every time. Also follow package storage directions and avoid meat that was improperly stored or left out.
How Do We Score Products for Pregnancy Safety?
We analyze each product's ingredients and category to flag known risks and provide cautionary notices for general category safety concerns.
A - Safe
Excellent choice! All ingredients are considered safe during pregnancy.
What to do: Use with confidence.
B - Likely Safe
Pretty much safe with very minimal risk. Some ingredients may have limited pregnancy studies, but no significant safety concerns have been identified.
What to do: Use with confidence.
C - Limit
Contains ingredients with some pregnancy considerations. Research shows these ingredients may have limited safety data, potential for minor hormonal effects, or require caution based on animal studies.
What to do: Use sparingly and consider safer alternatives when available.
D - Caution
Similar to C grade but contains multiple cautionary ingredients. The combination increases overall concern.
What to do: Try to avoid if that makes you feel better. If you've already used it, no need to panic.
F - Avoid
Contains ingredients with established risks during pregnancy. Research shows these can cause birth defects, developmental harm, or serious maternal complications.
What to do: Do not use during pregnancy. If you've already used it, don't worry - contact your OBGYN if concerned.
References
- https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/delimeats-7-24/index.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/food safety/foods/pregnant women.html
- https://hfpappexternal.fda.gov/scripts/fdcc/index.cfm?id=SODIUMNITRITE&set=FoodSubstances
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-9/section-424.21
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-172.175
- https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/170615
- https://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v50je07.htm
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41248583/
- https://publications.iarc.who.int/Book And Report Series/Iarc Monographs On The Identification Of Carcinogenic Hazards To Humans/Red Meat And Processed Meat-2018
- https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=52f01c6e-172a-47a9-98a6-9eab7651a032
- https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp204.pdf
- https://www.fda.gov/industry/color additives/fdc red no-3
- https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/16/2025-00830/color additive petition from center for science in the public interest et al request to revoke color
- https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2011.1854
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2824305/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2177442/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8296313/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8386132/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9368057/
- https://www.fda.gov/food/color additives information consumers/color additives questions and answers consumers