Is it safe?
Knowing why some foods are considered unsafe during pregnancy will help you decide
which foods to eat.
Cheese
It’s okay to eat:
- Hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Cheshire, Wensleydale, Edam, Gouda and Parmesan
- Soft, processed cheeses such as Philadelphia, Dairy Lea, Mozzarella, cottage cheese,
cream cheese and curd cheese
It’s best to avoid:
- All soft, ripened cheeses such as Brie and Camembert
- All blue-veined cheeses such as Stilton and Danish Blue
- Cheeses marked ‘unpasteurised’
- Feta cheese
Why?
Milk
It’s okay to eat:
- 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?
Pates
It’s okay to eat:
- Vegetable pate
- Meat pastes in jars
- Tinned pate; pasteurised, vacuum-packed pate
- Pasteurised pate in tubes (except liver pate)
It’s best to avoid:
- All fresh pates
- 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
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?
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
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)
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