Can You Eat Soft Cheese When Pregnant?
Written by Jordan Morley · Reviewed against NHS foods-to-avoid guidance · Last updated 28 October 2026
Soft mould-ripened cheeses (Brie, Camembert) should be avoided in pregnancy unless cooked; pasteurised soft cheeses without a rind (cream cheese, mozzarella, feta) are safe.
Why is soft cheese a concern in pregnancy?
"Soft cheese" covers two very different groups in pregnancy. Soft cheeses with a white mould rind — Brie, Camembert, chèvre — should be avoided unless thoroughly cooked, because listeria can grow in them. Soft cheeses without a rind — cream cheese, cottage cheese, mozzarella, feta, ricotta, mascarpone — are safe as long as they're made from pasteurised milk, which almost all supermarket versions are.
You can also check the calorie content of soft cheese alongside its safety information. Also check medication safety during pregnancy if you're managing any conditions.
The exception
Safe soft cheeses: pasteurised cream cheese, cottage cheese, mozzarella, feta, ricotta, mascarpone, paneer and cheese spreads. Avoid unless cooked: Brie, Camembert, chèvre with rind, and all soft blue cheeses.
Soft cheese is three different groups in the NHS list
'Soft cheese' is not one rule. The NHS foods-to-avoid page (last reviewed 15 June 2026) sorts it into groups, and NHS Wales and nidirect use the same wording:
| Group | Examples (NHS wording) | In pregnancy |
|---|---|---|
| Pasteurised soft cheeses | '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)' | Safe, as long as they are pasteurised |
| Mould-ripened soft cheeses (white coating) | 'brie, camembert and chèvre', pasteurised or unpasteurised | Must be thoroughly cooked |
| Soft blue-veined cheeses | 'Danish blue, gorgonzola and roquefort', pasteurised or unpasteurised | Must be thoroughly cooked |
| Soft ripened goats' cheese with a white coating | Listed with 'any foods made from unpasteurised milk' | Must be thoroughly cooked |
| Any cheese cooked until steaming hot | 'including soft or blue cheese' | Safe |
| Unpasteurised milk, cream, yoghurt, butter, ice cream | Including cows', sheep's and goats' milk | Avoid |
The reason the NHS gives: 'Unpasteurised or soft ripened dairy foods may contain listeria bacteria, which can cause listeriosis.' It also asks you to keep pre-packaged sandwiches and salads containing cheese chilled and eat them before the use-by date. See the dedicated pages for brie, camembert, feta, mozzarella, blue cheese and goat's cheese.
When the pack says 'avoid' and the NHS says 'fine'
Supermarket labels can be stricter than the NHS. We read three Sainsbury's product pages on 28 October 2026:
| Pack | Milk | Pack wording | NHS group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sainsbury's Somerset Goats Cheese 100g (soft, no rind mentioned) | Pasteurised | 'Expectant mothers and those susceptible to infection should avoid eating this cheese.' | Goats' cheese with no white coating: safe if pasteurised |
| Sainsbury's French Camembert 250g | Pasteurised | Same 'expectant mothers' warning | Mould-ripened: must be cooked |
| Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Camembert 250g | Unpasteurised | Same warning | Mould-ripened: must be cooked |
The first row is the useful one: a pasteurised rindless goat's cheese is on the NHS 'safe' list, yet the retailer's label tells expectant mothers to avoid it. We found no explanation on the page. If a label says avoid and you are unsure, the cautious choice is to follow the label or cook the cheese until steaming hot.
What 'cooked until steaming hot' means in numbers
The NHS says steaming hot and gives no temperature. The Food Standards Agency's blue cheese risk assessment (page updated 30 November 2023) quotes FSA 2018 research: 'Cooking at temperatures higher than 70°C for 2 minutes kills Listeria spp.' A HuffPost UK article (7 December 2023) instead cites EFSA for 65°C, and says typical baked Camembert recipes run 20 minutes at 200°C without checking the centre reaches that. We have not opened the EFSA source, so we use the FSA figure.
| Cheese dish | Counts as cooked? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Baked in the oven until bubbling all through | Yes | Steaming hot throughout |
| Pizza or a gratin, melted and bubbling | Yes | Cooked until steaming hot |
| Cheese melted on a burger or toastie that is hot but not bubbling in the middle | Uncertain | NHS says steaming hot throughout; a probe thermometer settles it |
| A cold salad with cooked-then-cooled cheese | No | HuffPost UK reports a midwife service advising against food that has been heated and left to cool |
| Cheese warmed in the microwave for 10 seconds | No | Soft but not steaming hot all through |
If you ate the wrong one
- 'If you've already had a small amount of food or drink that should be avoided during pregnancy, it's unlikely to affect your baby if you did not get ill.'
- 'Talk to your midwife or a GP if you're worried or have any symptoms.'
- The NHS says to get help from 111 if you feel unwell after food that should be avoided, if you have had symptoms of food poisoning (vomiting and diarrhoea) for more than 48 hours, or if you have symptoms of listeriosis or toxoplasmosis.
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 cheese groups; mould-ripened and soft blue cheeses must be cooked; any cheese cooked until steaming hot; listeria reasons; what to do if you ate something to avoid; last reviewed 15 June 2026
- NHS Wales 111: Foods to avoid in pregnancy (last updated 23 July 2026) — same cheese groups (updated 23 July 2026)
- nidirect: Foods to avoid in pregnancy (page metadata modified 3 April 2025) — same cheese groups; cooking cheese until steaming hot kills bacteria
- FSA / FSS report: The risk to vulnerable consumers from Listeria monocytogenes in blue cheese (PDF) — cooking above 70°C for 2 minutes kills Listeria spp. (citing FSA 2018)
- HuffPost UK via Yahoo News Singapore: Yes, you can eat Camembert if you're pregnant (7 December 2023) — rival: 65°C attributed to EFSA; 20 minutes at 200°C; heated then cooled food should be avoided
- Sainsbury's: Somerset Goats Cheese 100g (product page) — pasteurised rindless goat's cheese; 'expectant mothers' warning; once opened 3 days
- Sainsbury's: French Camembert Cheese Whole 250g (product page) — pasteurised camembert with 'expectant mothers' warning
- Sainsbury's: French Camembert Cheese, Taste the Difference 250g (product page) — unpasteurised camembert with the same warning
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Check Price →Soft Cheese: the other answers on this site
| Question | Short answer (links to the full page) |
|---|---|
| While breastfeeding | Safe |
| Left out overnight | No — throw it away (limit about 2 h) |
Common questions
Can I eat soft cheese when pregnant?
It depends on the type. The NHS says pasteurised soft cheeses such as cottage cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella and feta are safe, but mould-ripened cheeses with a white coating (brie, camembert, chèvre) and soft blue cheeses must be thoroughly cooked.
Is pasteurised brie or camembert safe in pregnancy?
Not uncooked. The NHS says mould-ripened soft cheeses with a white coating must be thoroughly cooked whether they are pasteurised or unpasteurised.
Why does my pasteurised goat's cheese say pregnant women should avoid it?
The NHS lists goats' cheese without a white coating as safe if pasteurised, but one Sainsbury's rindless goat's cheese pack we read still carries an 'expectant mothers' warning. Retailers can be stricter than the NHS.
How hot does soft cheese need to be?
The NHS says steaming hot. The FSA says temperatures above 70°C for 2 minutes kill Listeria spp. Check the centre is bubbling or use a thermometer.
Can I eat cheese in a restaurant when pregnant?
Cooked dishes served steaming hot are fine. For cold dishes, ask whether the cheese is pasteurised and which type it is; the NHS asks you to keep pre-packaged sandwiches and salads containing cheese chilled and eat them before the use-by date.
I accidentally ate soft cheese while pregnant. What should I do?
The NHS says a small amount of a food that should be avoided is unlikely to affect your baby if you did not get ill. Talk to your midwife or GP if you are worried, and get help from 111 if you feel unwell.
Is cottage cheese or cream cheese safe in pregnancy?
Yes if pasteurised. Both are on the NHS list of pasteurised soft cheeses that are safe.
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.