Foods to avoid in pregnancy

Most foods are safe in pregnancy. The ones to avoid are mainly raw or undercooked foods, products made from unpasteurised milk, liver, some kinds of fish and alcohol. They can carry bacteria or parasites, such as listeria, salmonella or toxoplasma, or substances that can harm your baby.

Milk and cheese

Avoid:

• unpasteurised milk, and products made from it, such as home-made cheese, yoghurt and butter when the milk was not boiled
• soft cheeses with a white rind, such as brie and camembert
• soft blue cheeses, such as gorgonzola and roquefort

These cheeses are safe if they are cooked until steaming hot.

Safe to eat: pasteurised milk, yoghurt and butter; hard cheeses such as parmesan and cheddar; feta, mozzarella and ricotta made with pasteurised milk.

Meat

Avoid:

• raw or undercooked meat, which can carry toxoplasma
• liver and liver products, which are high in vitamin A, and too much vitamin A can harm your baby
• game such as pheasant and partridge, which may contain lead

Cured and cold meats, such as prosciutto, salami and sujuk, should be cooked until steaming hot. Cook chicken, mince, meatballs and sausages thoroughly, with no pink meat or blood.

Eggs

Eat eggs cooked well, with the white and yolk set. Take care with foods made with raw egg, such as home-made mayonnaise, tiramisu or uncooked custards.

Fish and seafood

Avoid:

• raw fish and raw shellfish, including sushi made with raw fish
• swordfish, shark and marlin

Limit:

• tuna: no more than 4 cans or 2 steaks a week
• oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and trout: no more than 2 portions a week

The limits are because of mercury and other pollutants. Cooked fish and cooked seafood, such as prawns, mussels and squid, are safe.

Coffee and drinks

• Caffeine: no more than 200mg a day. A mug of instant coffee has about 100mg, a mug of black or green tea about 75mg, a can of cola about 40mg and an energy drink about 80mg. Espresso and Turkish coffee vary a lot depending on how they are made, so count carefully.
• Alcohol: none. No amount of alcohol is known to be safe in pregnancy.
• Herbal teas, including mountain tea, chamomile and peppermint: no more than 4 cups a day, because there is little research on them in pregnancy. Avoid teas containing liquorice root.

Fruit and vegetables

Wash fruit, vegetables and salad well to remove soil, which can carry toxoplasma. Keep pre-cut, packaged fruit in the fridge and eat it before its use-by date.

If you ate something you should have avoided

A small amount is unlikely to harm your baby if you did not become ill. Contact a doctor if:

• you feel unwell after eating it
• you have vomiting or diarrhoea for more than 48 hours
• you have a high temperature, aching muscles or flu-like symptoms

Sources we consulted

• NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy
• NHS: Healthy eating in pregnancy

Written by the mam.al editors as general information. It does not replace advice from your doctor or midwife. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.