Can I eat cheese while pregnant?
Check
Doola Scan's answer in the United States
Doola Scan's answer in the United StatesHard cheeses like cheddar and parmesan, and pasteurised mozzarella, cottage and cream cheese, show No known issues in all six countries. Brie, camembert and blue cheese show Check in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, and Avoid in New Zealand and Ireland when cold. Fresh cheeses like feta and queso fresco show Check in five countries and Avoid in New Zealand. The other line is the milk: cheese made from raw milk shows Avoid in the US, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. Cooked until steaming hot, soft cheese shows Check in all six.
Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · UpdatedHard cheese: cheddar, parmesan and similar
No known issuesIn all six countriesPasteurised mozzarella, cottage cheese and cream cheese
No known issuesIn all six countriesSoft cheese cooked until steaming hot
CheckIn all six countries
What each country says
Cheese while pregnant: what each country says.
Each country's own pregnancy guidance on cheese, with a link to it. Doola Scan uses your country's first.
United States
- Hard cheese: cheddar, parmesan and similarNo known issues
- Pasteurised mozzarella, cottage cheese and cream cheeseNo known issues
- Soft cheese cooked until steaming hotCheck
- 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
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
- Hard cheese: cheddar, parmesan and similarNo known issues
- Pasteurised mozzarella, cottage cheese and cream cheeseNo known issues
- Soft cheese cooked until steaming hotCheck
- NHSPasteurised soft cheeses such as mozzarella, feta, paneer, ricotta, burrata are safe.Source
Cheese made from raw (unpasteurised) milkWhite-rind and blue cheese: brie, camembert, gorgonzola- NHSCan carry listeria, which is riskier in pregnancy.Source
Canada
- Hard cheese: cheddar, parmesan and similarNo known issues
- Pasteurised mozzarella, cottage cheese and cream cheeseNo known issues
- Soft cheese cooked until steaming hotCheck
- 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
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
- Hard cheese: cheddar, parmesan and similarNo known issues
- Pasteurised mozzarella, cottage cheese and cream cheeseNo known issues
- Soft cheese cooked until steaming hotCheck
- 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
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
White-rind and blue cheese: brie, camembert, gorgonzola- Better Health Channel (Victoria)Soft cheeses such as brie and camembert are safe if served cooked and hot.Source
- NSW HealthSoft cheeses only if cooked and eaten hot.Source
- Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Do not eat brie, camembert, blue, ricotta, feta unless cooked to at least 75 °C and eaten straight away.Source
- 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
New Zealand
- Hard cheese: cheddar, parmesan and similarNo known issues
- Pasteurised mozzarella, cottage cheese and cream cheeseNo known issues
- Soft cheese cooked until steaming hotCheck
- Health NZAvoid soft, semi-soft and surface-ripened cheeses such as brie, camembert, ricotta, blue and feta.Source
Cheese made from raw (unpasteurised) milk
Ireland
- Hard cheese: cheddar, parmesan and similarNo known issues
- Pasteurised mozzarella, cottage cheese and cream cheeseNo known issues
- Soft cheese cooked until steaming hotCheck
- HSESoft cheeses such as brie and camembert only if cooked until steaming hot.Source
Cheese made from raw (unpasteurised) milk
What to check
Before you eat cheese.
Check the label says pasteurised
The FDA says not to eat any cheese made with unpasteurised (raw) milk in pregnancy, with no exception for hard or cooked cheese. Read the label for pasteurised milk; at a deli counter or market, ask. FDA
Cook brie, camembert and soft blue cheese
The NHS asks for mould-ripened soft cheeses like brie and soft blue cheeses to be cooked until steaming hot in pregnancy. Health Canada asks for soft, semi-soft and blue cheese to be cooked even when pasteurised. NHS
In Australia or New Zealand, bake soft cheese to 75°C
Australia's Pregnancy Birth and Baby names brie, camembert, blue, ricotta and feta among soft cheeses not to eat unless cooked to at least 75°C and eaten straight away. Pregnancy Birth and Baby
QuestionsAbout cheese
About cheese
in pregnancy.
Cheese made from raw milk shows Avoid in the US, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, and Check in the UK and Canada. The FDA says not to eat any raw-milk cheese. The NHS accepts hard cheese even if unpasteurised, and other raw-milk cheese cooked until steaming hot.
Pasteurised hard cheese, mozzarella, cottage and cream cheese show No known issues in all six countries. Pasteurised brie, camembert and soft blue cheese still need cooking in the UK, Canada and Australia, and show Avoid cold in New Zealand and Ireland.
It depends on your country. The NHS names brie, camembert and soft blue cheese unless cooked, and raw-milk soft cheese. Ireland's HSE lists blue cheeses such as gorgonzola and roquefort. FSANZ names brie, camembert, mozzarella, ricotta, feta and blue unless baked to 75°C.
Read the label for pasteurised milk. The NHS lists hard cheeses such as cheddar and parmesan among cheeses you can eat in pregnancy, pasteurised or not, and Doola Scan shows No known issues for cheddar in all six countries.
Look for pasteurised milk on the label. The NHS says most dairy products sold in supermarkets are pasteurised. Ireland's HSE also asks you to check labels for pasteurised.
Doola Scan shows No known issues for havarti in all six countries, and Check for panela cheese in all six. Stracciatella shows Check in five countries and Avoid in New Zealand, like fresh mozzarella.
The NHS says dairy foods such as milk, cheese, fromage frais and yoghurt are important in pregnancy, because they contain calcium and other nutrients you and your baby need.
Yes. Take a photo of the label, the cheese board or the menu, and Doola Scan checks each ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
Not sure about a meal? Scan it.
Point Doola at a plate, a menu or a label. It checks every ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance and shows its sources. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
Download app nowDoola 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.