Food safety in pregnancy: what to avoid

Q: Can you eat smoked salmon in pregnancy?

Cold-smoked salmon and gravlax are best avoided in pregnancy, since they carry a risk of listeria. Hot-smoked salmon, cooked until steaming hot throughout, is fine to eat. A quick check of the label tells you how the salmon was prepared.

Q: Is stilton safe to eat in pregnancy?

Yes. Although stilton is a blue cheese, it counts as a hard cheese, so it is fine to eat in pregnancy, even when made with unpasteurised milk. Hard cheeses hold less moisture, which makes them less likely to support listeria growth. The blue-veined cheeses to avoid are the soft varieties such as Danish blue, gorgonzola, and roquefort.

Q: How much caffeine is safe in pregnancy?

The recommended limit is 200mg of caffeine a day. This is roughly two mugs of instant coffee, or three mugs of tea. Caffeine is also found in cola and chocolate so it helps to count up what you are having in a day. Energy drinks are best avoided.

Q: What fish should you completely avoid in pregnancy?

Shark, swordfish, and marlin are best avoided at any point during pregnancy. They contain high levels of mercury, which can damage your baby's developing nervous system. The recommendation for tuna is to limit consumption to two tuna steaks (140g cooked) or four medium cans per week.

Q: Why is liver not recommended in pregnancy?

Liver and liver products can hold very high levels of vitamin A, and too much vitamin A in pregnancy can harm how your baby's nervous system develops. It is worth avoiding all pates as well, including vegetarian varieties, because of the risk of listeria.

Pregnant woman texting on her phone while holding a bottle.

Bloume content relating to health, wellbeing and nutrition has been reviewed and validated by relevant medical professionals in the UK, based on UK guidelines and practices applicable at the time of publication. Recommendations in other localities may differ from those found on our site and you should always seek the guidance or advice of relevant healthcare professionals in your area.

Working out what is safe to eat in pregnancy can feel overwhelming, especially when the advice seems to shift depending on who you ask. A handful of foods carry a small but specific risk of infection or harm to your baby, and once you know which ones to avoid and why, eating well becomes far more straightforward. This guide to food safety in pregnancy covers the main things to watch: what to leave off your plate, what to keep within limits, and where cooking something properly changes the picture.

Cooking meat all the way through

Raw or undercooked meat is best avoided while you are pregnant. It carries a small risk of toxoplasmosis, an infection that can cause miscarriage. This goes for all meat and poultry, sausages, steak, and minced meat included, so cook everything through until there is no trace of pink or blood.¹

Cold cured meats like salami, pepperoni, chorizo, and prosciutto are cured and fermented rather than cooked. Since they never get heated during production, they can carry the parasites behind toxoplasmosis. It is best to avoid them unless you cook them until they are steaming hot all the way through.²

Fish and shellfish to watch

Raw shellfish is best left off the menu, since it can carry bacteria, viruses, or toxins that cause food poisoning. Raw, cold-smoked or cured fish, including sushi, smoked salmon and gravalax, can carry listeria, so it is worth avoiding these too unless they are cooked until steaming hot.³

Shark, swordfish, and marlin are best avoided completely during pregnancy. They contain high levels of mercury, which can harm your baby's developing nervous system.⁴

Tuna holds more mercury than most other fish, so it is worth keeping your intake to no more than two tuna steaks (around 140g cooked) or four medium cans a week. Oily fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines are a great choice as they are an excellent source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, though they can carry pollutants such as dioxins, so two portions a week is the suggested limit.⁵

Soft cheeses and the listeria risk

Mould-ripened soft cheeses like brie and camembert, along with soft blue-veined cheeses such as Danish blue, gorgonzola, and roquefort, are best avoided, even if they are pasteurised. Their higher moisture content is the perfect environment for listeria bacteria to grow, and listeriosis can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, or serious illness in a newborn.⁶

All of the cheeses above are fine once cooked until steaming hot throughout, say in a baked dish or on a pizza where the cheese has fully melted and is visibly hot.⁷

Hard cheese such as cheddar, parmesan and stilton are fine to eat, even when made with unpasteurised milk. This is because their low moisture content and high acidity make it hard for the listeria bacteria to survive. Soft pasteurised cheeses that are not mould-ripened are fine too, including cottage cheese, mozzarella, feta, cream cheese, ricotta, and halloumi. With feta, it is worth a quick look at the label, since some artisan versions are unpasteurised.⁸

Liver, pate, and too much vitamin A

Liver and liver products, including liver pate and liver sausage, are best avoided during pregnancy. They can hold very high levels of vitamin A, and too much vitamin A can harm how your baby's nervous system develops. It is worth avoiding all types of pate as well, vegetable ones included, since these can carry listeria bacteria too.⁹

Keeping caffeine within the limit

During pregnancy, the recommended limit is no more than 200mg of caffeine a day. Regularly going over this links to a higher risk of low birthweight and miscarriage. As a rough guide, 200mg is around two mugs of instant coffee or three mugs of tea. Caffeine is also found in cola and chocolate, so it all adds up throughout the day. Energy drinks in particular can be very high and should be avoided during pregnancy.¹⁰

Alcohol in pregnancy

The safest approach is to avoid alcohol completely during pregnancy. No safe level of drinking in pregnancy has been established, which is why it is recommended to avoid completely.¹¹

Alcohol crosses the placenta and can seriously affect how your baby develops, since their liver is not developed enough to process it. The risk of long-term harm rises with the amount you drink. Heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a serious, lifelong condition affecting physical, mental, and behavioural development.¹²

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you eat smoked salmon in pregnancy?

Is stilton safe to eat in pregnancy?

How much caffeine is safe in pregnancy?

What fish should you completely avoid in pregnancy?

Why is liver not recommended in pregnancy?

Sources

[1] Foods to avoid eating during pregnancy

Raw or undercooked meat should be avoided during pregnancy due to a small risk of toxoplasmosis, an infection that can cause miscarriage. This applies to all meat and poultry, including sausages and minced meat, which should be cooked thoroughly until there is no trace of pink or blood.
[2] Eating well in pregnancy

Cold cured meats like salami, pepperoni, chorizo, and prosciutto are not cooked but cured and fermented, meaning they may contain toxoplasmosis-causing parasites. They should be avoided unless cooked thoroughly until steaming hot.
[3] NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

Raw shellfish should be avoided because it can contain harmful bacteria, viruses, or toxins that cause food poisoning. Cold-smoked or cured fish (like smoked salmon and gravlax) carry a risk of Listeria and should also be avoided unless cooked until steaming hot.
[4] Fish and Omega-3 - NHS

Shark, swordfish, and marlin should not be eaten during pregnancy. These fish contain high levels of mercury, which can harm an unborn baby's developing nervous system.
[5] NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

Oily fish intake should be limited to no more than two portions per week. While beneficial, oily fish can contain pollutants like dioxins.
[6] NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

Mould-ripened soft cheeses (e.g., brie, camembert) and soft blue-veined cheeses (e.g., Danish blue, gorgonzola, roquefort) should be avoided. This applies whether they are pasteurised or unpasteurised. They have more moisture, which can make it easier for Listeria bacteria to grow.
[7] NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

All the above soft cheeses are safe to eat if cooked until steaming hot throughout.
[8] NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

Soft, pasteurised cheeses that are not mould-ripened are safe to eat. This includes cottage cheese, mozzarella, feta, cream cheese, ricotta, and halloumi.
[9] NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

All types of pate, including vegetable pates, should be avoided as they can contain Listeria bacteria.
[10] NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

A 200mg caffeine limit is equivalent to roughly two mugs of instant coffee or one mug of filter coffee. Caffeine is also found in tea, cola, energy drinks, and chocolate.
[11] NHS: Drinking alcohol while pregnant

The safest approach is to not drink any alcohol during pregnancy. This advice is based on guidance from the UK Chief Medical Officers.
[12] NHS: Drinking alcohol while pregnant

Heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a serious, lifelong condition involving physical, mental, and behavioural problems.