Can You Eat Blue Cheese When Pregnant?
Written by Jordan Morley · Reviewed against NHS foods-to-avoid guidance · Last updated 28 October 2026
Soft blue cheeses (Gorgonzola, Danish Blue, Roquefort) must be thoroughly cooked in pregnancy, says the NHS. Stilton is not named on the current NHS page, so check the type you have.
Why is blue cheese a concern in pregnancy?
The NHS foods-to-avoid page (last reviewed 15 June 2026) lists 'pasteurised or unpasteurised soft blue-veined cheeses, such as Danish blue, gorgonzola and roquefort' as cheeses that must be thoroughly cooked, and lists hard cheeses such as cheddar, gruyère and parmesan as safe. Stilton is not named on the current NHS, NHS Wales or nidirect pages. A Food Standards Agency risk assessment (updated 30 November 2023) rated the chance of listeriosis from blue cheese as very low but not zero, and listed whether Stilton can support listeria growth as an uncertainty.
You can also check the calorie content of blue cheese alongside its safety information. Also check medication safety during pregnancy if you're managing any conditions.
The exception
Any blue cheese cooked until steaming hot is safe. Soft blue cheeses must be cooked; for Stilton, the cautious choice is to cook it or skip it, because the current NHS page does not clear it by name.
The Stilton question: what each UK source says
The most-searched blue cheese question is whether Stilton is allowed. The honest answer is that the current official pages do not name it, and older advice did. Here is what we found:
| Source (date) | What it says about blue cheese / Stilton |
|---|---|
| NHS (reviewed 15 June 2026) | 'pasteurised or unpasteurised soft blue-veined cheeses, such as Danish blue, gorgonzola and roquefort' must be thoroughly cooked; hard cheeses such as 'cheddar, gruyère and parmesan' are safe. Stilton is not named |
| NHS Wales 111 (23 July 2026) and nidirect (April 2025) | Same wording; Stilton not named |
| Food Standards Agency risk assessment (updated 30 Nov 2023) | Says NHS advice in England then listed pasteurised semi-hard cheeses including Stilton as acceptable, and Wales listed Stilton among hard pasteurised cheeses that can be eaten |
| Food Safety News (31 Jan 2024) | Reports that NHS websites had listed Stilton as safe and that this 'has now been changed'; it does not give the new wording |
| British Nutrition Foundation (revised July 2023) | Lists Stilton among safe hard cheeses, 'because they contain less water' |
| Mother & Baby (undated) | Stilton safe because it is a hard cheese |
| cheese.com (undated) | 'generally advised to avoid eating Stilton and similar blue-veined cheeses', or heat until steaming |
| London Cheesemongers (undated) | Avoid blue cheeses; avoid eating the blue in a cheddar |
So the sources disagree, and the one that matters most (the current NHS page) is silent. That is why our Stilton page now says 'not named by the NHS' rather than 'safe'. See Stilton when pregnant.
What the FSA found about listeria in blue cheese
The FSA and Food Standards Scotland commissioned a risk assessment to inform a revision of their foods-to-avoid guidance. It is the best UK evidence on the question and it is more reassuring than many blogs suggest, but not a clearance.
| Finding (FSA report) | Detail |
|---|---|
| Severity of listeriosis in vulnerable people | High |
| How often listeriosis from blue cheese is likely | 'considered very low' (the report calls it 'very rare but cannot be excluded') |
| Listeria spp. in UK retail blue cheese | Around 1 to 3% of samples |
| Listeria monocytogenes in a 2019-20 English survey | 2 of 77 blue cheeses (2.6%), both under 100 cfu/g |
| Milk used | A majority of UK retail blue cheeses are made from pasteurised milk; Stilton, as a protected product, is required to be pasteurised |
| Stilton specifically | Listed as an uncertainty: whether Stilton can support growth of L. monocytogenes |
| Does cooking work? | 'Cooking at temperatures higher than 70°C for 2 minutes kills Listeria spp.' |
The report notes that pH in blue cheeses rises during maturation to around 6 to 7, which favours growth, while a low water activity and salt can prevent it in some. We do not have Stilton-specific pack evidence, so we make no claim beyond the FSA's own uncertainty.
Which blue cheese is which
| Cheese | NHS position | Our reading |
|---|---|---|
| Gorgonzola, Danish blue, Roquefort | Named: must be thoroughly cooked | Cook, or skip |
| Dolcelatte, Cambozola, Saint Agur | Not named | Soft, moist blue-veined cheeses: treated as the soft blue group in our pages |
| Stilton | Not named on the current page | Not cleared by name; cooked is safe under the NHS cooked-cheese rule. See the table above |
| Blue cheese cooked in a sauce, on a pizza or baked | 'any cheese that's been cooked until steaming hot, including soft or blue cheese' is safe | Safe if steaming hot throughout |
| Blue cheese dressing, bought chilled | Not specifically covered | Check the label for pasteurised milk and the use-by date |
| Blue cheese crumbled cold on a salad | Soft blue: must be cooked | Avoid |
Practical tips
- Melt it properly. Bubbling all the way through, not just softened on the top of a burger.
- Check the label. A pasteurised label is not a pass for soft blue cheese: the NHS rule applies to pasteurised and unpasteurised.
- Restaurants. Ask what the blue cheese is and whether it is cooked into the dish. A cold wedge salad with crumbled blue is the common trap.
- Ate some? The FSA rates the chance of listeriosis from blue cheese as very low; the NHS says to talk to your midwife or GP if you are worried or unwell.
Sources checked
Everything in the sections above was checked against these pages on 28 October 2026.
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy (page last reviewed 15 June 2026) — soft blue-veined cheeses must be cooked; hard cheeses safe; any cheese cooked until steaming hot safe; Stilton not named; last reviewed 15 June 2026
- NHS Wales 111: Foods to avoid in pregnancy (last updated 23 July 2026) — same wording; Stilton not named; updated 23 July 2026
- nidirect: Foods to avoid in pregnancy (page metadata modified 3 April 2025) — same wording; Stilton not named
- Food Standards Agency: Risk assessment for vulnerable consumers from Listeria monocytogenes in blue cheese (page updated 30 November 2023) — risk assessment: severity high, frequency very low; commissioned to inform revision of foods-to-avoid guidance
- FSA / FSS report: The risk to vulnerable consumers from Listeria monocytogenes in blue cheese (PDF) — 1 to 3% of samples; 2 of 77 L. monocytogenes; pasteurised majority; Stilton uncertainty; 70°C for 2 minutes; advice in England, Wales and Scotland in 2023
- Food Safety News: FSA and FSS assess Listeria risk from blue cheese (31 January 2024) — reports NHS Stilton wording changed (new wording not given)
- British Nutrition Foundation: What not to eat when pregnant (reviewed June 2018, revised July 2023) — Stilton among safe hard cheeses (revised July 2023)
- Mother & Baby: Which cheese is safe to eat during pregnancy? (undated) — rival (undated): Stilton safe as a hard cheese
- cheese.com: Can you eat Stilton while pregnant? (undated) — rival (undated): avoid Stilton or heat; no source cited
- London Cheesemongers: Cheese and pregnancy (undated) — rival (undated): avoid blue cheeses
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Check Price →Blue Cheese: the other answers on this site
| Question | Short answer (links to the full page) |
|---|---|
| While breastfeeding | Safe |
Common questions
Can I eat blue cheese when pregnant?
Soft blue-veined cheeses (Danish blue, gorgonzola, roquefort) must be thoroughly cooked, says the NHS. Any blue cheese cooked until steaming hot is safe.
Can I eat Stilton when pregnant?
The current NHS, NHS Wales and nidirect pages do not name Stilton. Older NHS wording did list it as acceptable. Cooked until steaming hot it is safe; uncooked, it is not cleared by name, so be cautious.
Is pasteurised blue cheese safe in pregnancy?
Pasteurised soft blue cheese still must be cooked, according to the NHS. The FSA found most UK blue cheeses are pasteurised, but some unsatisfactory listeria results in Scottish data were pasteurised blue cheeses.
How risky is blue cheese for listeria?
The FSA risk assessment (updated November 2023) rates the frequency of listeriosis from blue cheese in vulnerable people as very low but cannot exclude it, and about 1 to 3% of UK retail blue cheese samples had Listeria spp.
Can I eat blue cheese on pizza when pregnant?
Yes if the pizza is cooked and the cheese is steaming hot all through. The NHS says any cheese cooked until steaming hot is safe.
Can I eat blue cheese dressing when pregnant?
The NHS pages we read do not cover dressings. Check the label for pasteurised milk and the use-by date; homemade versions with crumbled soft blue cheese would not be cooked.
How hot does blue cheese need to be?
The NHS says steaming hot. The FSA says above 70°C for 2 minutes kills Listeria spp.
Related answers
Primary source: NHS foods-to-avoid guidance.
General information only, not medical advice: see the medical disclaimer. Feeling unwell after eating something? Contact NHS 111 or your GP.