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Can I eat blue cheese while pregnant?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Blue cheese shows Check in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, and Avoid in New Zealand and Ireland when eaten cold. The US accepts blue-veined cheese made from pasteurised milk. The UK, Canada and Australia ask for soft blue cheese to be cooked, even pasteurised, while Health NZ and Ireland's HSE list blue cheeses among foods to avoid. Cooked until steaming hot, in a sauce or baked, blue cheese shows Check in all six countries. Blue cheese dressing shows Check in all six.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Blue cheese served cold: crumbled on salad, on a cheese board, gorgonzola or roquefort

    CheckUnited StatesUnited KingdomCanadaAustraliaAvoidNew ZealandIreland

  • Blue cheese dressing or dip

    CheckUnited StatesUnited KingdomCanadaAustraliaAvoidNew ZealandIreland

  • Cooked until steaming hot, in a sauce, on pizza or baked

    CheckIn all six countries
Doola Scan checking a plate
What each country says

Blue cheese while pregnant: what each country says.

Each country's own pregnancy guidance on blue cheese, with a link to it. Doola Scan uses your country's first.

  • United States

    Check
    • FDABlue-veined soft cheeses are fine if made with pasteurized milk.Source
    • CDCAvoid unheated queso fresco-type cheeses (queso fresco, queso blanco, requesón) even when made with pasteurized milk; heat to 165°F.Source
    • FDASoft cheese from raw milk can carry listeria.Source
    • FoodSafety.gov (HHS)Pasteurised; queso fresco-type fresh soft cheeses only when heated to 165°F, even if pasteurised.Source
    • USDA FSISAvoid soft cheeses not made with pasteurised milk.Source
    Blue cheese made from raw (unpasteurised) milk
    • FDADo not drink raw milk or eat foods made with unpasteurized milk during pregnancy.Source
    • FoodSafety.gov (HHS)Avoid raw milk; only pasteurised milk and milk products.Source
    • USDA FSISNever drink raw milk.Source
    • FDADo not eat any cheese made with unpasteurized (raw) milk; no exception for hard or cooked cheese.Source
    • CDCAvoid raw-milk cheese unless heated to 165 F or until steaming hot.Source

  • United Kingdom

    Check
    • NHSCan carry listeria, which is riskier in pregnancy.Source
    • NHSPasteurised soft cheeses such as mozzarella, feta, paneer, ricotta, burrata are safe.Source
    Blue cheese made from raw (unpasteurised) milk
    • FSAPregnant women should not consume raw drinking milk or cream.Source
    • NHSRaw milk can carry listeria and other harmful bacteria.Source
    • NHSUnpasteurised dairy may contain listeria.Source

  • Canada

    Check
    • Health CanadaBlue-veined cheese is fine when cooked; avoid uncooked even if pasteurized.Source
    • CPSAvoid soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert, even if pasteurized.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid uncooked soft, semi-soft and blue cheese even if pasteurized; fine cooked.Source
    Blue cheese made from raw (unpasteurised) milk
    • CPSAvoid unpasteurized milk, cheese and dairy products.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid raw or unpasteurized dairy products; choose pasteurized.Source
    • CPSAvoid unpasteurized cheese and dairy products.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid raw or unpasteurized dairy products, including uncooked hard cheese; cooked cheese is fine.Source

  • Australia

    Check
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Avoid soft cheeses including blue-vein unless cooked.Source
    • NSW HealthSoft blue-vein cheese only if cooked and eaten hot.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Avoid blue cheese unless cooked to 75 °C and eaten immediately.Source
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Soft cheeses only if served cooked and hot.Source
    • FSANZAvoid soft, semi-soft and surface-ripened cheese incl. brie, camembert, mozzarella, ricotta, feta, blue - unless baked to 75 °C.Source
    • NSW Food AuthoritySoft and semi-soft cheeses only if cooked to at least 75°C and eaten soon after.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)No soft cheeses (brie, camembert, blue, ricotta, feta) unless cooked to at least 75°C and eaten straight away.Source
    Blue cheese made from raw (unpasteurised) milk
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Avoid unpasteurised milk and foods made from it.Source
    • FSANZAvoid raw milk and raw-milk cheeses; choose pasteurised dairy.Source
    • NSW Food AuthorityDo not drink or use unpasteurised (raw) dairy.Source
    • NSW HealthDo not eat unpasteurised milk or milk products.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Only dairy made from pasteurised milk.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Only dairy made from pasteurised milk; no cooked unpasteurised exception.Source
    • NSW Food AuthoritySoft and semi-soft cheeses only if cooked to at least 75°C.Source

  • New Zealand

    • Blue cheese served cold: crumbled on salad, on a cheese board, gorgonzola or roquefortAvoid
    • Blue cheese dressing or dipAvoid
    • Cooked until steaming hot, in a sauce, on pizza or bakedCheck
    • Health NZLow acid soft pasteurised cheese incl. blue, brie, feta, mozzarella: do not eat unless cooked.Source
    • Health NZAvoid soft, semi-soft and surface-ripened cheeses such as brie, camembert, ricotta, blue and feta.Source
    Blue cheese made from raw (unpasteurised) milk
    • Health NZAvoid unpasteurised dairy products.Source
    • MPI (NZ Food Safety)Avoid raw milk, raw-milk cheeses and raw-milk yoghurts.Source

  • Ireland

    • Blue cheese served cold: crumbled on salad, on a cheese board, gorgonzola or roquefortAvoid
    • Blue cheese dressing or dipAvoid
    • Cooked until steaming hot, in a sauce, on pizza or bakedCheck
    • HSEAvoid blue cheeses such as Danish blue, gorgonzola and roquefort.Source
    • HSESoft cheeses such as brie and camembert only if cooked until steaming hot.Source
    Blue cheese made from raw (unpasteurised) milk
    • HSEAvoid unpasteurised dairy (milk and cheese).Source
    • FSAIDo not drink raw milk without boiling it first.Source
What to check

Before you eat blue cheese.

  1. In the US, check for pasteurised milk

    The FDA says pregnant women should not eat soft cheeses such as blue-veined cheeses unless they're made with pasteurised milk. Read the label for made with pasteurized milk. FDA

  2. In the UK, cook soft blue cheese until steaming hot

    The NHS says soft blue-veined cheeses, pasteurised or not, such as Danish blue, gorgonzola and roquefort, must be thoroughly cooked in pregnancy. A hot blue cheese sauce can be; crumbled cold cheese is not. NHS

  3. In Canada or Australia, cook it

    Health Canada asks pregnant people to avoid uncooked blue-veined cheese even if it's made from pasteurised milk. Australia's Pregnancy Birth and Baby accepts blue cheese cooked to at least 75°C and eaten straight away. Health Canada

  4. In Ireland or New Zealand, read the blue cheese line

    Ireland's HSE lists blue cheeses such as Danish blue, gorgonzola and roquefort among foods to avoid in pregnancy. Health NZ names blue among soft cheeses not to eat unless cooked. HSE

Questions

About blue cheese
in pregnancy.

Some is and some isn't, so read the label. The FDA asks for blue-veined cheese to be made with pasteurised milk in pregnancy. In the UK, Canada and Australia, soft blue cheese needs cooking even when it's pasteurised.

Check each pack: the label says made with pasteurized milk when it is. The FDA's line is that blue-veined cheeses are fine in pregnancy if made with pasteurised milk, and it says not to eat any cheese made with raw milk.

Cooked until steaming hot, blue cheese shows Check in all six countries. The NHS accepts soft blue cheese thoroughly cooked, Health Canada accepts cooked blue-veined cheese, and Pregnancy Birth and Baby asks for at least 75°C, eaten straight away.

Doola Scan shows Check for blue cheese dressing in all six countries. The cheese in a cold dressing isn't cooked, so read the label for pasteurised milk; the blue cheese dressing page has each country's line.

They show the same as blue cheese: Check in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, and Avoid in New Zealand and Ireland when cold. The NHS and Ireland's HSE both name gorgonzola and roquefort.

The blue cheese guidance is the same all through pregnancy. None of the six countries changes it by trimester.

The guidance is about what to choose next time. If you feel unwell or are unsure, talk to your midwife or doctor.

Yes. Take a photo of the label, the menu or the plate, and Doola Scan checks each ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
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Doola shows what official guidance says; it never diagnoses. No known issues means none of these countries' pregnancy guidance names it, not a promise that a food is safe.