Can you eat pizza when pregnant?
Hannah Weiss
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Find out if it's safe to eat pizza during pregnancy, including toppings like pepperoni, mozzarella and ham. Plus, precautions to take to keep you and your baby healthy.
The official advice on eating pizza in pregnancy
Great news! Pizza is safe to eat during pregnancy, so feel free to tuck into that slice. Just make sure that any cured meats like pepperoni are thoroughly cooked through.
Pizza bases and most toppings – including mozzarella, tomato sauce and vegetables like mushrooms and peppers – are perfectly fine to eat when you're pregnant. Just be sure to wash the vegetables thoroughly before cooking.
Mozzarella, gorgonzola and other soft cheeses
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According to the NHS, soft pasteurised cheeses like mozzarella and ricotta are safe to eat when you're pregnant, whether served cold or cooked.
The process of pasteurising kills off harmful bacteria like listeria, which can cause listeriosis. This is an infection which could make your unborn baby very unwell, leading to a small risk of miscarriage or stillbirth.
Therefore the NHS advises against eating any unpasteurised dairy products during pregnancy. You should only eat soft blue cheeses, mould-ripened soft cheeses and unpasteurised soft cheeses if they have been cooked until steaming hot. This includes brie, camembert and gorgonzola.
Parmesan, Cheddar and other hard cheeses
The NHS says that all hard cheeses, including parmesan, Cheddar and Stilton, are perfectly safe to eat while you're pregnant. This is because hard cheeses contain less water than soft cheeses, which makes it harder for bacteria to grow.
Pepperoni, ham and other cured meats
The NHS confirms that it's safe to eat cured meats like pepperoni, salami, chorizo and Parma ham during pregnancy, providing that you cook the meat before serving.
It's also fine to put pre-packed ham on your pizza.
Eating cold cured meats that are uncooked could lead to a small risk of food poisoning. This is because raw meat contains a parasite that causes an infection called toxoplasmosis. This can create complications in pregnancy, including miscarriage and stillbirth. However, it's totally fine when cooked on pizza.
Delicious pizza recipes
Love pizza? Why not try one of these great pregnancy-safe recipes?
The Day-by-Day Pregnancy Book: Count Down Your Pregnancy Day by Day by Dr Maggie Blott is packed full of advice from a team of experts to help guide you through your pregnancy from conception to birth. 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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