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Can I eat fresh mozzarella while pregnant?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Fresh mozzarella shows Check in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Ireland, and Avoid in New Zealand when eaten cold. The US and UK accept it made from pasteurised milk: the NHS lists pasteurised mozzarella and burrata among soft cheeses you can have. Canada, Australia and New Zealand ask for soft cheese to be cooked until hot. Melted until steaming hot, on pizza or baked pasta, fresh mozzarella shows Check in all six. Buffalo mozzarella and burrata show the same as fresh mozzarella.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Fresh mozzarella, cold in a caprese salad or a sandwich

    CheckUnited StatesUnited KingdomCanadaAustraliaIrelandAvoidNew Zealand

  • Buffalo mozzarella and burrata, served cold

    CheckUnited StatesUnited KingdomCanadaAustraliaIrelandAvoidNew Zealand

  • Melted until steaming hot, on pizza or baked pasta

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

Fresh mozzarella while pregnant: what each country says.

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

  • United States

    Check
    • 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
    Fresh mozzarella 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
    • NHSPasteurised soft cheeses such as mozzarella, feta, paneer, ricotta, burrata are safe.Source
    Fresh mozzarella 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
    • 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
    Fresh mozzarella 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)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
    Fresh mozzarella 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

    • Fresh mozzarella, cold in a caprese salad or a sandwichAvoid
    • Buffalo mozzarella and burrata, served coldAvoid
    • Melted until steaming hot, on pizza or baked pastaCheck
    • Health NZAvoid soft, semi-soft and surface-ripened cheeses such as brie, camembert, ricotta, blue and feta.Source
    Fresh mozzarella 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

    Check
    • HSESoft cheeses such as brie and camembert only if cooked until steaming hot.Source
    Fresh mozzarella 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 fresh mozzarella.

  1. Check the label says pasteurised

    The FDA asks for soft cheese to be clearly labelled made from pasteurized milk, and to check the label on all dairy. The NHS says most dairy products you buy in supermarkets are pasteurised. FDA

  2. In Australia or New Zealand, eat it cooked

    FSANZ names mozzarella among soft and semi-soft cheeses to avoid unless baked to 75°C. Health NZ's pregnancy guide says not to eat soft pasteurised cheeses such as mozzarella unless cooked. FSANZ

  3. In Canada, heat fresh mozzarella until hot

    Health Canada asks pregnant people to avoid uncooked soft and semi-soft cheese, even when it's pasteurised. It says the cheese just needs to be cooked, like in a casserole, broiled until hot, bubbly and browned on top. Health Canada

  4. Eat melted mozzarella hot, soon after cooking

    The NSW Food Authority asks for soft cheeses cooked to at least 75°C to be eaten soon after. Ireland's HSE asks for soft cheeses to be eaten only if cooked until steaming hot. NSW Food Authority

Questions

About fresh mozzarella
in pregnancy.

Check the tub or packet: the ingredients say pasteurised milk when it is. The NHS says most dairy products you buy in supermarkets are pasteurised, and the FDA asks for soft cheese to be clearly labelled made from pasteurized milk.

It depends on your country. The US and UK accept cold fresh mozzarella made from pasteurised milk. Health Canada, FSANZ and Health NZ ask for soft cheese like mozzarella to be cooked, which is why Doola Scan shows Avoid for cold fresh mozzarella in New Zealand.

A caprese salad has cold fresh mozzarella, so the cold lines apply: Check in five countries and Avoid in New Zealand. The tomatoes and basil are raw produce, which all six countries ask you to wash.

Melted until steaming hot, fresh mozzarella shows Check in all six countries. The NSW Food Authority asks for soft cheese cooked to at least 75°C to be eaten soon after.

They show the same as fresh mozzarella: Check in five countries and Avoid in New Zealand when cold. The NHS names burrata with mozzarella among pasteurised soft cheeses you can have.

Fresh mozzarella (świeża mozzarella) shows Check in five countries and Avoid cold in New Zealand. Heated until steaming hot, it shows Check everywhere, and block mozzarella shows No known issues.

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

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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.