Game Birds
Game birds such as pheasant, grouse, and partridge are safe if cooked thoroughly, but pregnant women are advised to limit consumption due to potential lead shot contamination.
Wild game birds — including pheasant, grouse, partridge, woodcock, and snipe — are safe to eat in pregnancy if cooked thoroughly, but current guidance advises limiting how often you eat them. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises that people who eat game regularly, and particularly vulnerable groups including pregnant women, should be aware that game shot with lead ammunition may contain lead fragments in the meat. Lead can be harmful to a developing baby's nervous system even in small amounts. This is not a reason to avoid game birds entirely, but it is a reason not to eat them frequently. Commercially farmed game birds sold in supermarkets are increasingly shot with non-lead alternatives, but wild or shot game from butchers and game dealers may still use lead shot. Cook all game thoroughly — game birds are often served pink in restaurants, which should be avoided during pregnancy. The risks from game are much lower than from the absolute avoid list, which is why this is a caution rather than an outright avoidance.
What to be aware of
- Limit game bird consumption during pregnancy — do not eat game birds more than once or twice a month.
- Check whether the game was shot with lead or non-lead ammunition if buying from a butcher or game dealer.
- Cook game birds thoroughly — no pink meat should remain, despite restaurant convention.
- Supermarket game is more likely to use non-lead shot but it is worth checking the label.
NHS guidance: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/foods-to-avoid/