Foods to avoid during pregnancy

It’s wise to avoid certain foods during pregnancy. Some could harm your baby, while others may make you feel unwell, which can be hard to cope with when you are pregnant.

Make things simple with our at-a-glance checklist of which foods to avoid, and which are safe to eat.

Avoid

Unpasteurised milk, either from cows or goats.

Why

It could contain a bug called listeria, which can harm your baby.

It's safe to eat

Pasteurised (heat treated milk), the sort you get from your milkman or supermarkets.

Avoid

Soft, mould-ripened, blue-veined, or unpasteurised cheeses such as Brie and Camembert, Chevre (a type of goat’s cheese), Stilton or Danish Blue.

Why

These may also contain listeria bacteria.

It's safe to eat

Hard cheeses like Cheddar, Red Leicester, Edam and Parmesan; soft, processed cheeses like cottage cheese, cream cheese, feta, mozzarella, ricotta, mascarpone and cheese spreads.

Avoid

Liver and all products containing liver, like liver sausage and pate.

Why

They may contain high levels of the retinol type of vitamin A which has been linked with birth defects. It’s safest to avoid all pates, including vegetable, whilst you are pregnant as they carry a high risk of listeria.

It's safe to eat

Potted meats and pastes, as these have been processed.

Avoid

Soft-boiled or raw eggs and foods which contain raw eggs such as home-made mayonnaise, mousse or uncooked cheesecake, and soft-whipped ice cream from kiosks.

Why

These foods may contain salmonella bacteria which can cause food poisoning.

It's safe to eat

Hard-boiled eggs, shop mayonnaise in jars as it’s made with pasteurised (heat-treated) eggs, which destroys the salmonella bacteria. Baked cheesecake, meringue, pre-wrapped ice-cream, crème fraiche, soured cream, live and bio yoghurts and fromage-frais.

Avoid

Raw or undercooked meat, fish or chicken. Be extra careful about barbecued food.

Why

Undercooked meats can contain the salmonella bacteria which can cause food poisoning.

It's safe to eat

Well-cooked meat, chicken and fish. Check that juices run clear and no pink bits are left.

Avoid

Swordfish, marlin or shark and limit tuna to no more than four medium cans or two fresh tuna steaks per week.

Why

These fish have relatively high levels of mercury which can harm the nervous system of an unborn baby.

It's safe to eat

Oysters, prawns, mussels and crabs if cooked thoroughly and part of a hot meal, otherwise the can cause food poisoning. Up to two portions a week of oily fish such as trout, salmon, mackerel and sardines.

Avoid

Foods that may not be properly heated through or cooked such as pre-cooked, chilled foods like chicken drumsticks and meat pies.

Why

If not completely reheated, these foods may contain listeria bacteria which can affect an unborn baby.

It's safe to eat

Ready-made meals that you have re-heated until they are piping hot all the way through.

Avoid

Unwashed salads and vegetables.

Why

They may contain the listeria bacteria or the toxoplasmosis parasite. Both can affect an unborn baby.

It's safe to eat

Well-washed salads and vegetables.