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What
food is safe during pregnancy?Cheese
It's okay to eat:
- Hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Cheshire, Wensleydale, Edam, Gouda and Parmesan, even if these are marked unpasteurised
- Soft, processed cheeses such as Philadelphia, Dairylea, Mozzarella, cottage cheese, cream cheese and curd cheese
It's best to avoid:
- All soft, ripened cheeses such as Brie and Camembert, even if these are marked pasteurised
- All blue-veined cheeses such as Stilton and Danish Blue, even if these are marked pasteurised
- Soft unpasteurised goats' and sheep's cheeses
- Feta cheese
Why?
- Risk of listeria
Milk
It’s okay to consume:
- Pasteurised, sterilised or ultra-heat-treated (UHT) milk
- Raw milk boiled for two minutes before use in puddings or drinks
It’s best to avoid:
- Untreated, green top milk from cows, sheep or goats
Why?
- Risk of brucellosis and other bacteria that may cause food poisoning
- Risk of listeria and toxoplasmosis parasite
Eggs
It’s okay to eat:
- Eggs cooked until both the yolk and the egg are solid
- Commercially produced mayonnaise in jars and other products made using pasteurised eggs
- Home-made desserts, icing and so on made using pasteurised egg
It’s best to avoid:
- Raw or undercooked eggs
- Sorbet
- Mousse
- Meringue
- Home-made mayonnaise
Why?
- Risk of salmonella
Pates
It’s okay to eat:
- Meat pastes in jars
- Tinned pate; pasteurised, vacuum-packed pate; UHT treated pate
- Pasteurised pate in tubes (except liver pate)
It’s best to avoid:
- All fresh pates (meat, fish and vegetable)
- All liver products
Why?
- Risk of listeria
- Liver and liver products are rich in vitamin A and high levels of vitamin A may be harmful during pregnancy
Tea and herbal tea
It's OK to drink tea but too much caffeine is not recommended during pregnancy. Herabl teas are probably OK but no food regulations specifically address these kind ofl teas so:
Stick to:
- Herbal drinks that contain things you consume as a normal part of your diet such as orange or mint
It's best to avoid:
- Caffeine and especially green tea. When choosing herbal teas stear clear of unfamiliar ingredients such as cohosh, pennyroyal, and mugwort, all best avoided during pregnancy.
Why?
Caffeine inhibits iron absorption vital for your baby's development.
Studies have also linked high levels of green tea consumption around the
time of conception and during pregnancy with an increased incidents of
spina bifida and anencephaly, a birth defect that results in the absence
of part of the brain and skull.
Herbs are drugs, often powerful ones. High doses of herbs may cause diarrhoea,
vomiting and healrt palpitations.
Cooked-chilled foods
It’s okay to eat:
- Cooked-chilled convenience meals
- Ready-to-eat poultry which has been thoroughly reheated
It’s best to avoid:
- Unheated cooked-chilled meals
- Poultry foods that have been pre-cooked and then chilled and which you cannot reheat safely before eating, such as chicken drumsticks and chicken or turkey sandwiches
Why?
- Risk of listeria
Pies and pasties
It’s okay to eat:
- Packaged pies and pasties, date-stamped and bought from a reputable shop
It’s best to avoid:
- Cold foods sold loose from delicatessen counters
Why?
- Risk of listeria and of other germs that may cause food poisoning
Vegetables
It’s okay to eat:
- Well-washed raw vegetables
It’s best to avoid
- Unwashed vegetables. Even packaged, supermarket fruit and vegetables should be thoroughly washed under running water
Why?
- Risk of toxoplasmosis parasite and other germs that may cause food poisoning
Salads
It’s okay to eat:
- Salads made from fresh, well-washed ingredients
- Dressed salads prepared immediately before eating
It’s best to avoid:
- Ready-prepared and packaged salads straight from the bag
- Ready-made dressed salads (such as potato salad or coleslaw)
Why?
- Risk of listeria and toxoplasmosis parasite
Ice cream
It’s okay to eat:
- Packaged ice cream
- Ice lollies kept in a freezer
It’s best to avoid:
- Soft, whipped ice cream sold from vans or kiosks
Why?
- Risk of salmonella or other bacteria
Meat
It’s okay to eat:
- Well-cooked poultry and meat, cooked until no meat remains pink and the juices run clear
It’s best to avoid:
- Raw, rare or undercooked poultry and meat of any kind
Why?
- Risk of salmonella and toxoplasmosis parasite
Fish
It’s okay to eat:
- White fish like cod, haddock and plaice
- Oily fish such as mackerel, herring, pilchard, sardine, trout or salmon
It’s best to avoid:
- Swordfish, marlin and shark
- Limit consumption of tuna to two medium-sized cans or one fresh tuna steak per week
Why?
- Risk of high levels of mercury which can affect the baby's developing nervous system
Shellfish
It’s okay to eat:
- Cooked shellfish as part of a hot, well-cooked meal
It’s best to avoid:
- Raw or undercooked shellfish such as oysters, mussels, cold prawns, crab
Why?
- Risk of bacteria that may cause severe food poisoning
(Chart adapted from Safe Foods by Hannah Hulme Hunter and Rosemary Dodds, published by NCT Publishing in collaboration with Thorsons 1999)
Reviewed by the babyworld midwife
