Can you eat carbonara when pregnant?

Find out if it's safe to eat spaghetti with carbonara sauce during pregnancy, plus precautions to take to keep yourself and your baby healthy.

The official advice on eating carbonara in pregnancy

Traditional carbonara

Traditional carbonara is made by adding a raw egg towards the end of the cooking time. Because you can't be sure that the egg will cook through, it's best to take some precautions.

According to the NHS, raw eggs are only safe to eat in pregnancy if they have a red British Lion stamp. So traditional carbonara made with Lion Stamp eggs is safe to eat.

Raw eggs without the Lion Stamp can cause a type of food poisoning called salmonella. You're more susceptible to food poisoning when you're pregnant. While it's unlikely to harm your baby, it can be very unpleasant. So if the carbonara is made with non-stamped eggs, it's best to give it a miss.

If you're eating out, the restaurant probably uses Lion Stamped eggs, but it's best to ask just to be sure.

Spaghetti carbonara ready meals

Provided the ready meal is fully cooked according to the instructions, it should be safe to eat while you're pregnant.

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Carbonara sauce from a jar

Carbonara sauce sold in jars in the UK doesn't contain raw egg, so is safe to eat in pregnancy.

Delicious pasta recipes

Love carbonara? Why not try one of these great pregnancy-safe recipes?

• Posh carbonara sauce (be sure to use Lion Stamped eggs)
• Egg-free carbonara recipe
• Chicken creme fraiche pasta
• Classic macaroni cheese
• Vegetable penne with asparagus and peas

We like The Whole 9 Months, a week-by-week pregnancy nutrition guide, packed full of recipes and medical advice. See more details here at Amazon.

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Looking for more pregnancy diet info? Check out our articles below, or swap tips with other mums-to-be in our forum.

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