Can you eat cottage cheese when pregnant?

Find out if it's safe to eat cottage cheese during pregnancy, plus precautions to take to keep you and your baby healthy.

The official advice on eating cottage cheese in pregnancy

Good news, cottage cheese is safe to eat during pregnancy.

The NHS says it's safe to eat soft cheeses like cottage cheese, cream cheese, halloumi, ricotta, feta and mozzarella when you're pregnant, as long as they're made from pasteurised milk. This is because the process of pasteurising kills off any harmful bacteria.

Most cottage cheese sold in shops in the UK is pasteurised - if it's unpasteurised, it has to display a warning on the pack.

Unpasteurised soft cheeses may contain the bacteria listeria, which, in rare cases, can cause an infection called listeriosis. Listeriosis can make your unborn baby very unwell and may lead to miscarriage or stillbirth. So stick to pasteurised cottage cheese while you're pregnant.

Delicious soft cheese recipes

Love soft cheese? Why not try one of these great pregnancy-safe recipes?

• Cheese-stuffed plum tomatoes (works brilliantly with cottage cheese!)
• Strawberries and 'cream' sandwiches (made with cottage cheese)
• Avocado, cream cheese and spinach dip
• Ham and mushroom tagliatelle
• Spicy cheese dips

We like The Whole 9 Months, a week-by-week pregnancy nutrition guide, packed full of recipes and medical advice. See more details here at Amazon.

Take a look at

Foods to avoid in pregnancy: your definitive guide

Confused about what you can and can't eat during pregnancy? These are the foods and drinks you should avoid or cut down on to protect your baby.

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Looking for more pregnancy diet info? Check out our articles below, or swap tips with other mums-to-be in our forum.

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