Pregnancy food checker · United States
Can I eat mayonnaise while pregnant?
A jar of mayonnaise, a freshly mixed aioli and a deli salad need different checks. Start with the egg ingredient, then consider the food it is served with.
Short answer
Mayonnaise made with pasteurized eggs or a pasteurized finished product is the safer option. Avoid uncooked sauces made with unpasteurized eggs; a safe mayonnaise ingredient does not make every prepared salad safe.
What to check before eating
- Is the egg ingredient pasteurized?
- Is this mayonnaise alone, a sandwich or a premade deli salad?
- What storage instructions apply after opening?
How to choose and use mayonnaise
Check the product
Read the label or ask the manufacturer whether pasteurized eggs are used or the finished product is pasteurized. Do not assume every brand or homemade recipe is the same.
Guidance sources: FDA [1]
Continue reading: Is yum yum sauce safe during pregnancy?
Ask about uncooked sauces
For homemade mayonnaise or aioli, use pasteurized eggs or egg products. At a restaurant, ask whether the sauce contains uncooked, unpasteurized egg.
Guidance sources: FDA [2]
Check the meal around it
Follow the mayonnaise label’s storage directions. If making a salad at home instead of buying a premade deli salad, use pregnancy-appropriate ingredients and clean utensils, and keep the perishable dish refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below. Homemade does not automatically mean safe.
Questions about preparation and storage
Does lemon juice make raw-egg mayonnaise safe?
Do not use added lemon juice as a substitute for checking the eggs. FDA recommends pasteurized eggs for recipes served with raw or undercooked egg.
Guidance sources: FDA [2]
Is a sandwich safe because the mayonnaise is store-bought?
The mayonnaise check covers only one ingredient. Fillings, preparation and storage still need their own checks.
Guidance sources: FDA [4]
Background and other choices
What matters for mayonnaise
- FDA says commercial mayonnaise typically uses pasteurized eggs or is pasteurized as a finished product.
- Homemade or restaurant sauces need an ingredient check.
- CDC advises pregnant people to avoid premade deli salads.
Safer next steps
- Choose a product whose egg treatment you can confirm.
- Keep the label so you can follow its storage instructions.
- Ask for another condiment when a restaurant cannot confirm the egg ingredient.
What Can I Eat can and cannot confirm
Can I Eat can use the food name, visible label text and details you provide to highlight relevant questions. A photo cannot confirm internal cooking temperature, storage time, hidden ingredients, pasteurization that is not shown, or restaurant handling. Check the complete label and ask the person who prepared the food when those details matter.
When to contact a clinician
Contact your prenatal clinician if you ate a food discussed here and feel unwell, have been told you have a higher-risk pregnancy, or need advice for your individual circumstances. Seek urgent medical care for severe or rapidly worsening symptoms.
Sources and editorial context
The Can I Eat Editorial Team source-checks these pages against public guidance from U.S. health authorities, keeps conditional answers conditional, and identifies details that still need checking for a specific food. This process is not an individual clinician review or endorsement, and the content is general information rather than individualized medical advice.
Can I Eat Editorial Team. Published for readers in United States. Sources last checked 2026-09-15.
Check your exact meal
What’s on your plate?
Scan a label or describe your meal in Can I Eat to explore reminders related to your dietary concerns.
Can I Eat provides general food safety information and dietary risk reminders only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis or a replacement for your clinician.