Can you eat cheesecake when pregnant?

Last modified on Monday 15 June 2020

Charlotte Thomas

Deputy Editorial Director

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Find out if it's safe to eat cheesecake, including baked cheesecake and frozen cheesecake, during pregnancy. Plus precautions to take to keep you and your baby healthy.

The official advice on eating cheesecake in pregnancy

Good news! It's safe to eat cheesecake when you're pregnant, as long as it's made with pasteurised cheese.

Cheesecakes are usually made with biscuits, soft cheese like ricotta, butter, sugar and cream. The NHS says it's fine to eat soft cheese during pregnancy as long as it's made using pasteurised milk. This is because the process of pasteurising kills off any harmful bacteria.

You should also make sure the cream used is pasteurised. The milk and cream you find in shops, supermarkets, coffee shops and restaurants in the UK is all pasteurised, however you may find unpasteurised dairy products for sale at farmers markets or farm shops.

What about baked cheesecake?

Baked cheesecakes, like New York cheesecake, usually contain eggs as well as cream cheese. Cooked eggs are safe to eat when pregnant.

You should be cautious of raw or partially cooked eggs though, as there's a chance of salmonella food poisoning. You're more susceptible to food poisoning while you're pregnant. While it's unlikely to harm your baby, it can be very unpleasant.

If you're buying eggs, always look for the British Lion stamp. British Lion eggs are low-risk for salmonella and safe to eat raw or partially cooked when you're pregnant.

Is frozen cheesecake safe to eat?

The majority of frozen cheesecakes bought from the supermarket contain pasteurised egg and pasteurised milk products. This means they're safe to eat as the process of pasteurising will kill off any harmful bacteria.