Can you eat salad cream when pregnant?

Last modified on Monday 15 June 2020

Polly Logan-Banks

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Find out if it's safe to eat salad cream during pregnancy, plus precautions to take to keep yourself and your baby healthy.

The official advice on eating salad cream in pregnancy

Ready-made salad cream

Ready made salad cream sold in supermarkets is safe to eat in pregnancy. Although it contains eggs, the eggs have been pasteurised, making it safe to eat.

Homemade salad cream

Homemade salad cream can be made using raw or cooked eggs. If it's made using raw or partially cooked eggs, it's only safe to eat if the eggs have a British Lion stamp. These eggs come from hens that have been vaccinated against salmonella, so are safe to eat raw.

Avoid homemade salad cream made using raw or partially cooked eggs without the British Lion Stamp. According to the NHS, these eggs could contain salmonella, which can cause food poisoning, particularly in pregnancy. It's unlikely to do your baby any harm, but can be unpleasant, so avoid anything made with raw or runny non-British Lion eggs while you're pregnant (non-British Lion eggs are still safe to eat if they're thoroughly cooked, though).

If you're eating out, you could check to see if the restaurant uses British Lion eggs, just to be on the safe side.