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Pregnancy food safety · 9 entries

Dairy products during pregnancy

Dairy is worth eating in pregnancy — it's the easiest route to 1,000 mg of calcium a day, and it brings protein, iodine and B12 along with it. If you're under 19, the target is 1,300 mg. The rule is pasteurized. Milk, yogurt, cream, butter, ice cream and cheese made from pasteurized milk are all fine. Raw milk is the thing to avoid, and anything made from it, because it can carry listeria, salmonella and E. coli. Soft cheeses — brie, camembert, feta, blue cheese — are fine when they're made from pasteurized milk. Check the label. Almost everything in a US shop is pasteurized and says so; if it doesn't say, or it's from a market stall or a farm gate, leave it. Hard cheeses like cheddar and parmesan are fine either way. Listeria is the reason for all of this. It can reach your baby even when you barely feel sick yourself, which is why the rule is so simple: if the label says pasteurized, it's yours.

Every dairy products entry, with a verdict

Sorted with the ones worth knowing about first. Avoid means skip it entirely; take care means it depends on how it was prepared.

  • Unpasteurized milk

    Avoid

    It's dangerous to consume unpasteurized milk during pregnancy as it may contain listeria, it may harm you and your baby. Make sure that any milk you drink is pasteurized.

  • Hard cheese (cheddar, parmesan)

    Safe

    It's okay to eat hard cheeses, so enjoy! It’s best if the cheese is made from pasteurized milk. Make sure you store the cheese in the fridge.

  • Pasteurized milk

    Safe

    Drink pasteurized milk and cook with it with pleasure. Store it in the fridge and consume it in a reasonable amount of time.

  • Cottage cheese, cream cheese or similar

    Safe

    It's okay to eat these! Buy these kinds of cheese in sealed packs and eat cold or cooked no longer than 2 days after opening. Make sure you store the cheese in the fridge.

  • Cream

    Safe

    Cream is totally safe for pregnancy, so enjoy fresh, unwhipped or whipped cream, just as you like it. Buy it in sealed packs, store in the fridge, and eat within 2 days after opening.

  • Sour cream

    Safe

    Sour cream is totally safe for pregnancy, so enjoy it with any meal. Buy it in sealed packs, store in the fridge, and eat within 2 days after opening.

  • Soft cheeses

    Safe

    Soft cheeses such as brie, Camembert, Roquefort, feta, Gorgonzola, and Mexican style cheeses that include queso blanco and queso fresco are tasty indeed, but due to the production method, they may be contaminated with listeria. You must make sure they clearly state that they are made from pasteurized milk before eating them with pleasure. One exception: CDC now says to skip queso fresco, queso blanco and requesón even when pasteurized — they keep getting contaminated afterwards. Heated until steaming, they're fine. Choose the cheese in the manufacturer's original packaging and eat immediately after opening. Do not reseal to eat later, and do not eat if cheese has been repackaged in a deli or supermarket as may have become contaminated. Make sure you store the cheese in the fridge. It is safe to eat soft cheeses in meals when they have definitely been steamed and cooked, cheese fondue is included in this.

  • Yogurt

    Safe

    Yogurt of all types, including fruit yogurt and frozen yogurt, is perfect for pregnancy. It is rich with proteins that helps you build cells in your body (and there are lots of them built during pregnancy!). It's also very useful for the baby, as protein is an important material in forming the baby's muscles and brain. It is also rich with calcium that is needed by you and your baby's bones and muscles. Buy it in sealed packs or cook by yourself, store in the fridge and eat within 2 days after opening. Also, if you want yogurt with fruit or berries, best to add them by yourself, as the pre-mixed ones can contain lots of sugar.

  • Butter

    Safe

    It's okay to eat all types of butter during pregnancy! So enjoy your sandwiches with butter and don't forget to store it in fridge.

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