Is Feta safe during pregnancy?
Milk, cheese & dairy
Official sources differ
The official sources below do not agree, so each position is shown with who holds it.[1,2,3,4,5,6]
- NHS: Pasteurised feta is safe.
- US CDC / US FDA: Feta is a safer choice when made with pasteurised milk; do not eat it unless it is made with pasteurised milk.
- FSANZ: Avoid feta and other soft cheeses unless thoroughly cooked.
What official sources say
NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy
- Cheese, milk and other dairy › Safe to eat: Pasteurised soft cheeses are safe to eat in pregnancy, including cottage cheese, cream cheese, processed cheese spreads, mozzarella, feta, paneer, ricotta, mascarpone, halloumi, burrata and goats' cheese without a white rind.[1]
US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women
- Safer Choice:
Cottage cheese, cream cheese, string cheese, feta and mozzarella, when made with pasteurized milk
[2]
US CDC: Preventing Listeria Infection
- Choose these instead:
Cottage cheese, cream cheese, string cheese, feta, and mozzarella, when made with pasteurized milk
(advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[3]
US FDA: Ready-to-Eat Foods (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)
- Don't eat:
Soft cheeses like Feta, Brie, and Camembert, "blue-veined cheeses," or "queso blanco," "queso fresco," or Panela - unless they're made with pasteurized milk.
[4]
FSANZ: Listeria in food
- Avoid pre-prepared ready-to-eat foods, especially:
soft, semi-soft and surface-ripened cheeses such as brie, camembert, ricotta, blue and feta (unless thoroughly cooked)
(advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[5]
FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people
- Higher-risk foods:
Pre-packaged and delicatessen (e.g. brie, camembert, mozzarella, ricotta, feta and blue)
(advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[6]
Nutrition per 100 g (USDA)
| Energy | 265 kcal |
| Protein | 14.21 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Iron | 0.65 mg |
| Calcium | 493 mg |
| Folate (DFE) | 32 µg |
| Folate, total | 32 µg |
| Vitamin A (RAE) | 125 µg |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg |
| Vitamin D | 0.4 µg |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.69 µg |
| Choline | 15.4 mg |
| DHA (omega-3) | 0 g |
| EPA (omega-3) | 0 g |
| Caffeine | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 1139 mg |
USDA FoodData Central: Cheese, feta (FDC ID 173420), 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.
- US CDC: Preventing Listeria Infection · cdc.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
- US FDA: Ready-to-Eat Foods (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be) · fda.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
- FSANZ: Listeria in food · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; 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.