Declining a glass of wine is easy. Spotting the alcohol that goes into the dish is harder: the splash of white wine in a risotto, the Marsala in a tiramisu, the brandy flamed over a steak. For pregnant diners the question is simple, and the answer is less comfortable than the old kitchen saying suggests: does the alcohol really cook off?
What the health guidance says
The World Health Organization and Italy’s ISS (EpiCentro) state that no safe level of alcohol in pregnancy has been identified, and the NHS advises that the safest approach is not to drink at all. That guidance is aimed mostly at drinks. For cooked food, the picture is more nuanced, which is where most confusion starts.
Does alcohol cook off?
Not entirely. Retention tables from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) show that how much alcohol remains depends on cooking time, the shape of the pan and when the alcohol is added:
- alcohol stirred into a dish that is then taken off the heat keeps a large share of its original content;
- flambéing burns off only part of it;
- simmering for an hour or more lowers the residue a lot, but does not always remove it completely.
So a slow-braised stew is very different from a dessert soaked in liqueur and served cold.
Where alcohol hides on a menu
Savoury dishes
- Risottos and pan sauces deglazed with wine, brandy or Marsala
- Flambéed steaks, prawns and tableside dishes
- Slow braises and ragùs (long cooking, lower residue)
- Mussels or fish finished in wine or cognac
Desserts
- Tiramisu, trifle, rum baba: alcohol that is never cooked
- Ice cream or semifreddo flavoured with liqueur
- Liqueur-filled chocolates and macerated fruit
Simple questions to ask your server
- “Does this dish contain wine, spirits or liqueur?”
- “Is it cooked for long, or added at the end?”
- “Is the dessert soaked in alcohol?”
- “Can the kitchen make it without alcohol?”
If the answer is uncertain, choose another dish. Whether to accept traces of cooked alcohol is a personal decision to make with your midwife or doctor.
For restaurants: make alcohol visible
Alcohol in dishes is rarely flagged, which is why it is such a common source of doubt. Practical steps cost little:
- mark dishes containing alcohol on the menu, even when cooked;
- keep a kitchen list that front-of-house can check;
- offer an alcohol-free variant where the recipe allows;
- brief the team so answers are consistent.
SafeBloom certification is a training mark, not a health inspection: an 8-hour online course (4 modules), a 15-question final exam (80% pass mark) and 12 months’ validity. It helps teams answer questions like these with confidence.
Bottom line
Cooked alcohol does not disappear completely, and the residue varies widely by recipe. Asking clearly and kindly is the easiest way to choose with confidence.
Diners: try the Restaurant Finder and read our method. Restaurateurs: discover the SafeBloom certification course and our page for restaurants.
Sources: WHO; ISS/EpiCentro; NHS; USDA alcohol retention table. Informational only; not medical advice.