Can you eat cream cheese when pregnant?
Charlotte Thomas
Deputy Editorial DirectorThis page contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our articles and reviews are written independently by the Netmums editorial team.
Find out if it's safe to eat cream cheese during pregnancy, plus precautions to take to keep you and your baby healthy.
The official advice on eating cream cheese in pregnancy
Good news, cream cheese is safe to eat during pregnancy.
The NHS says it's safe to eat cream cheese when you're pregnant, as long as it's made from pasteurised milk. This is because the process of pasteurising kills off any harmful bacteria.
Most cream cheese sold in shops in the UK is pasteurised, including Philadelphia and supermarket own-brands. Legally, soft cheese that isn't pasteurised must carry a warning to say so.
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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.
Delicious soft cheese recipes
Love soft cheese? Why not try one of these great pregnancy-safe recipes?
- Cheese-stuffed plum tomatoes
- 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.
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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This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our articles and reviews are written independently by the Netmums editorial team.
