Foods to avoid in pregnancy

Cheese, milk and other dairy

Safe to eat

• any pasteurised milk, butter, yoghurt, cream and ice cream (including cows', sheep's and goats' milk)
• pasteurised or unpasteurised hard cheeses, such as cheddar, gruyère and parmesan
• pasteurised semi-hard cheeses, such as edam
• pasteurised soft cheeses, such as cottage cheese, cream cheese, processed cheese spreads, mozzarella, feta, paneer, ricotta, mascarpone, halloumi, burrata and goats' cheese that does not have a white coating (rind) on the outside
• any cheese that's been cooked until steaming hot, including soft or blue cheese

Most dairy products, like milk, cheese and butter you buy in supermarkets are pasteurised. You can check the packaging to make sure.

Foods to be careful with

• any foods made from unpasteurised milk, such as soft ripened goats' cheese with a white coating on the outside – these must be thoroughly cooked
• pasteurised or unpasteurised mould-ripened soft cheeses with a white coating on the outside, such as brie, camembert and chèvre – these must be thoroughly cooked
• pasteurised or unpasteurised soft blue-veined cheeses, such as Danish blue, gorgonzola and roquefort – these must be thoroughly cooked
• pre-packaged sandwiches and salads containing cheese and other dairy products – keep them chilled and eat them before the use-by date

Foods to avoid

• unpasteurised milk, cream, yoghurt, butter and ice cream (including cows', sheep's and goats' milk)

Why some cheese and dairy foods are not safe to eat

Unpasteurised or soft ripened dairy foods may contain listeria bacteria, which can cause listeriosis.

Pre-packaged sandwiches and salads can also contain listeria bacteria.

Listeriosis can cause miscarriage or stillbirth, or make your newborn baby very unwell.

Meat and poultry

Safe to eat

• thoroughly cooked chicken, pork, lamb, turkey and duck – there should be no trace of pink or blood after cooking
• thoroughly cooked minced meat, burgers and sausages, and black pudding – there should be no trace of pink or blood after cooking
• whole cuts of beef and lamb (such as steaks or cutlets) that have been thoroughly cooked on the outside
• any tinned meats

Foods to be careful with

• rolled joints of meat – must be thoroughly cooked all the way through
• any processed, cold pre-cooked meats, such as ham or chicken – keep chilled and eat before the use-by date
• cold cured meats such as salami, pepperoni, chorizo and prosciutto – should be cooked until steaming hot before eating
• pre-packaged sandwiches and salads containing meat – keep them chilled and eat them before the use-by date
• meat pâté – keep chilled and eat before the use-by date

Foods to avoid

• raw or undercooked meat
• liver and liver products
• game meats such as goose, partridge, pheasant and venison

Why some meat is not safe to eat

There's a small risk of getting toxoplasmosis if you eat raw, undercooked or cured meat, which can cause miscarriage.

Liver and foods containing liver have high levels of vitamin A, which can be harmful to your baby.

Cold cured, ready-to-eat meats may contain listeria bacteria, which can cause listeriosis.

Although the risk is low, some ready-to-eat foods, like pre-packaged sandwiches and salads, may also contain listeria bacteria.

Listeriosis can cause miscarriage or stillbirth, or make your newborn baby seriously unwell.

Game meats may contain lead, which can also be harmful for your baby.

Eggs

Safe to eat

• hen eggs that have the red British Lion stamp or are produced under the Laid in Britain scheme can be eaten raw, partially cooked (runny yolk), or well-cooked, as long as they're eaten before the use-by date – check eggs for the Red Lion stamp, or the packaging for the Laid in Britain logo
• hen eggs that are not British Lion eggs, or not produced under the Laid in Britain scheme, should only be eaten well-cooked
• all other eggs, including duck, goose and quail eggs, can be eaten if they're well-cooked
• foods like mayonnaise and mousse that are made with raw eggs, if made with British Lion eggs or hen eggs produced under the Laid in Britain scheme

Foods to be careful with

• pre-packaged sandwiches and salads containing eggs

Although the risk is low, some ready-to-eat foods like pre-packaged sandwiches and salads may contain listeria bacteria, which can cause listeriosis.

Listeriosis can cause miscarriage or stillbirth, or make your newborn baby seriously ill.

Foods to avoid

• hen eggs that do not have the British Lion stamp or are not produced under the Laid in Britain scheme should not be eaten raw or partially cooked
• raw or undercooked goose, duck and quail eggs

Why some eggs are not safe to eat

British Lion hen eggs and hen eggs produced under the Laid in Britain scheme are less likely to contain salmonella.

Salmonella is unlikely to harm your unborn baby, but you could get food poisoning, which can make you seriously unwell.

Fish and seafood

Safe to eat

• cooked fish
• cooked shellfish, including prawns, crab, lobster, squid, mussels, scallops, clams and cockles
• sushi made with cooked fish or cooked shellfish

Foods to limit

• tuna – you should not eat more than 4 cans or 2 tuna steaks a week
• oily fish including salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines and herring – you should not eat more than 2 portions a week

Tuna and oily fish can contain pollutants, including mercury, that can be harmful for your baby if you eat too much.

Foods to be careful with

• cold-smoked and cured fish, like smoked salmon – these must be cooked until steaming hot
• cold, pre-cooked ready-to-eat prawns – these must be cooked until steaming hot
• pre-packaged sandwiches and salads containing fish and shellfish – keep them chilled and eat them before the use-by date

Although the risk is low, some ready-to-eat foods like pre-packaged sandwiches and salads may also contain listeria bacteria, which can cause listeriosis.

Listeriosis can cause miscarriage or stillbirth, or make your newborn baby seriously ill.

Foods to avoid

• raw fish and raw shellfish
• sushi made with raw fish (even if it has been previously frozen) or raw shellfish
• swordfish
• shark
• marlin

Why some fish is not safe to eat

You should avoid raw, cold-smoked and cured fish because it could contain listeria bacteria, which can cause listeriosis.

Listeriosis can cause miscarriage or stillbirth, or make your newborn baby seriously ill.

You should also avoid raw shellfish because they can contain bacteria or toxins that can make you seriously unwell or give you food poisoning.

Caffeine

Things to limit

• you should not have more than 200mg of caffeine a day

Caffeine can be found in coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks and tablets, chocolate, guarana, and some health or fitness supplements.

Estimated amount of caffeine in common foods and drinks:

• 100mg in a cup of instant coffee – filter coffee and coffee bought from coffee shops can contain more
• 75mg in a cup of tea – for example, black or green tea
• 40mg in a can of cola
• 80mg in a 250ml can of energy drink
• less than 25mg in a 50g bar of plain dark chocolate
• less than 10mg in a 50g bar of plain milk chocolate

Why you should limit how much caffeine you have

Having too much caffeine has been linked to a higher chance of miscarriage and stillbirth.

Drinks

Drinks to limit

• drinks that contain caffeine, like coffee, teas, cola and some energy drinks – you should not drink more than 200mg of caffeine a day
• herbal teas, like peppermint and chamomile – avoid drinking more than 4 cups of herbal tea a day, and avoid teas containing liquorice root

There's not much research on the effects of drinking herbal teas in pregnancy, so it's safest to limit how much you drink.

Drinks to avoid

• alcohol
• herbal teas containing liquorice root

Why some drinks are not safe to have

Liquorice root may be harmful to your baby's development, so it's safest to avoid it.

Drinking alcohol in pregnancy can cause long-term harm to your baby. It's safest to avoid alcohol.

Find out more about drinking alcohol while pregnant

Fruit and vegetables

Safe to eat

• most fruits and vegetables are safe to eat – make sure they're washed thoroughly before eating

Foods to be careful with

• salads – make sure you wash salad vegetables (like lettuce and tomatoes) thoroughly before eating
• enoki mushrooms – these must be cooked thoroughly before eating
• pre-packaged and pre-cut fruit, such as melon – keep chilled and eat them before the use-by date
• pre-packaged sandwiches and salads – keep them chilled and eat before the use-by date
• vegetable pâté or vegetarian pâté – keep chilled and eat before the use-by date

Why you need to be careful when preparing some fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables should be washed thoroughly before eating to remove any soil. This is because soil can contain bacteria that may make you unwell.

Although the risk is low, some ready-to-eat foods like pre-packaged sandwiches and salads, vegetable pâté and enoki mushrooms may also contain listeria bacteria, which can cause listeriosis.

Listeriosis can cause miscarriage or stillbirth, or make your newborn baby seriously unwell.

Peanuts and other nuts

Safe to eat

• peanuts and other nuts are safe to eat unless you've been told not to have them by a doctor or midwife, or you have an allergy