Is Cheddar safe during pregnancy?
Milk, cheese & dairy
Safe to eat
The NHS says hard cheeses such as cheddar are safe, pasteurised or not; the US CDC lists pasteurised hard cheese as a safer choice.[1,2,3]
What official sources say
NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy
- Cheese, milk and other dairy › Safe to eat: Hard cheeses such as cheddar, gruyère and parmesan are safe to eat in pregnancy, whether pasteurised or unpasteurised.[1]
US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women
- Safer Choice:
Hard cheese, when made with pasteurized milk, such as Asiago, Cheddar, Parmesan, or Swiss/Gruyere/Emmental
[2]
FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people
- Safer alternatives:
Hard cheeses, pasteurised cream cheese, plain cottage cheese, baked soft cheeses (cooked to an internal temperature of 75°C)
(advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[3]
Nutrition per 100 g (USDA)
| Energy | 408 kcal |
| Protein | 23.3 g |
| Sugars | 0.33 g |
| Iron | 0.16 mg |
| Calcium | 707 mg |
| Folate, total | 21 µg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 316 µg |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.06 µg |
| DHA (omega-3) | 0.001 g |
| EPA (omega-3) | 0.01 g |
| Sodium | 654 mg |
USDA FoodData Central: Cheese, cheddar (FDC ID 328637), per 100 g. Public domain. Values describe that USDA record; composition varies with variety and preparation.
Sources
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy · nhs.uk. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). Not endorsed by the NHS.
- US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women · cdc.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
- FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.
Sources checked 26 September 2026.
Quotes are checked word for word against each source page, and paraphrases against the original text. Official bodies are named as sources only: none of them reviewed or endorses this page.
Educational information, not medical advice. Your own doctor or midwife may advise differently for you — follow their advice.