Can you eat sour cream when pregnant?

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

The official advice on eating sour cream in pregnancy

Good news! As long as it's made using pasteurised milk, sour cream is safe to eat during pregnancy. This is because the process of pasteurising kills off any harmful bacteria.

The sour cream you find in supermarkets and restaurants in the UK should be pasteurised and has to be clearly marked if it isn't. However you may find unpasteurised or 'raw' dairy products for sale at farmers markets or farm shops.

Unpasteurised dairy products 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.

Even unpasteurised sour cream is safe to eat if it's thoroughly cooked through. Cooking kills the listeria bacteria, making it safe to eat.

Delicious sour cream recipes

Love sour cream? Why not try one of these great pregnancy-safe recipes?

• Leftover bolognese wraps
• Beetroot and walnut dip
• Quorn hot dog tacos
• Meat-free mezze with sour cream dip
• Potato wedges with 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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