Can I eat Soft cheese (unpasteurized)?

Soft cheese (unpasteurized) should be avoided during pregnancy. Unpasteurized soft cheeses can contain Listeria. The primary risks are: Listeria monocytogenes. These pose real dangers to both mother and baby. Note: Only safe if labeled "made with pasteurized milk". Safe alternatives include: Pasteurized soft cheese, Hard cheese, Cream cheese. This guidance is based on FDA recommendations for pregnant women.

An "Avoid Completely" rating means major health authorities (FDA, ACOG, CDC, and/or USDA) advise against this food during pregnancy due to a specific, well-documented risk — not a minor precaution or a matter of personal preference. Foods in this category typically carry either no safe preparation method (as with alcohol) or a meaningfully elevated risk of foodborne illness or fetal harm even with careful handling. If you’re unsure whether a past exposure is a concern, your provider is the best resource for guidance specific to your situation.

Pasteurization is the key safety factor for dairy in pregnancy. Unpasteurized ("raw") milk and cheeses made from it can carry Listeria, which is able to cross the placenta and is considered especially dangerous during pregnancy. Soft cheeses like brie, feta, blue cheese, and queso fresco are safe as long as the label confirms they're made with pasteurized milk — most cheese sold in US grocery stores is. For eggs, the main concern is Salmonella from undercooked yolks or whites, so eggs should be cooked until both the yolk and white are firm, and raw-egg preparations (homemade mayonnaise, cookie dough, raw batter) should use pasteurized eggs or be avoided. Dairy is also a key source of calcium and protein during pregnancy, and eggs provide choline, a nutrient linked to fetal brain development, so pasteurized versions of both are worth keeping in a regular rotation rather than limiting unnecessarily.

The risk this food carries isn’t limited to a specific trimester — the guidance to avoid it applies from conception through delivery. If you ate this before realizing you were pregnant, a single past exposure is a common concern; mention it to your provider at your next appointment rather than worrying it caused harm, since isolated exposure is generally lower-risk than regular consumption. If you experience symptoms like fever, vomiting, or unusual cramping after eating this food, contact your provider promptly rather than waiting to see if it resolves.

Beyond food-specific guidance, a few baseline food-handling habits reduce risk across everything you eat during pregnancy. These come from general FDA and USDA food-safety guidance rather than being specific to any one food, and they apply the same way in every trimester: