Is aioli safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about aioli during pregnancy?

1. Fully cooking eggs, or choosing egg products made from pasteurized eggs, lowers the chance of a Salmonella infection, which is rare in pregnancy but can affect amniotic fluid and potentially lead to miscarriage. 1
2. About 4% of Salmonella infections involve bacteremia, which can lead to serious illness in the pregnant person or the fetus, though available data doesn't suggest Salmonella infection raises the chance of birth defects. 1
3. Aioli is named directly alongside mayonnaise and hollandaise as a raw-egg sauce that Salmonella-associated foodborne outbreaks are mainly linked to, since these sauces combine raw egg with little to no cooking step. 2
4. In one historical review of outbreak investigations, roughly 77% to 80% of Salmonella Enteritidis outbreaks over a 15-year period were traced back to eggs and egg products, including hollandaise sauce and Caesar dressing, both raw-egg emulsion sauces in the same family as aioli. 3
5. In raw-egg emulsion sauces like mayonnaise, the acidity level that develops during preparation matters for controlling Salmonella, but one study found the bacteria remained detectable for up to four weeks under refrigeration even within a typically protective pH range, showing that acidity and cold storage alone don't guarantee a raw-egg sauce is safe. 4

Is aioli safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. Aioli's raw-egg risk doesn't shift by trimester, but first-trimester nausea often makes rich, garlicky sauces unappealing anyway. When you do want it, this is a good trimester to start the habit of asking how it's made.
• Second trimester. As appetite picks back up, aioli shows up more often as a dip for fries, a sandwich spread, or a seafood accompaniment. The same rule applies: jarred or fully cooked versions are fine, while fresh restaurant or homemade versions made from raw egg call for asking first.
• Third trimester. Aioli is a common holiday and party appetizer, often served alongside a vegetable or seafood platter that's already been sitting out for a while. Combine the raw-egg caution with the usual limits on how long any dip should sit at room temperature.