It might be worthwhile to lay off the Slim Jims during your pregnancy.

Although these salty snacks are convenient and tasty, they are classified as a more heavily processed food item, which means they contain additives which might not be the best for a pregnant person and their growing baby. Many processed meat products contain a preservative called nitrates (also known as nitrites), which are worth paying extra attention to during pregnancy. Research is still ongoing, but some studies have suggested they may have potential negative effects.

Two other drawbacks that come with these popular snacks is that they tend to be very high in sodium, and as with any deli meat product, there’s also a greater food safety risk.