Can I Eat Blue Cheese During Pregnancy?

⚡ Quick Answer Most traditional blue cheese — Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Danish Blue — is made with unpasteurized milk and is on the CDC and ACOG "avoid" list during pregnancy due to Listeria risk. The safe exception: blue cheese made from pasteurized milk. In the US, this includes many supermarket varieties. Always read the label. If you can't verify pasteurization, either skip it or cook it to 158°F (70°C) until melted through.

Blue cheese is probably the most Googled soft cheese question during pregnancy, and for good reason — the guidance sounds contradictory. Some sources say avoid all soft cheese, others say it depends on pasteurization. Let me break down exactly what the CDC, FDA, and ACOG actually say, and what it means practically.

The CDC's official guidance says: "Do not eat soft cheeses such as blue-veined cheeses unless they are labeled as made with pasteurized milk." The operative word is "unless." Pasteurized blue cheese exists and is considered safe.

Why Blue Cheese Is Risky: Listeria and Mold

Blue cheese gets its characteristic flavor and veining from Penicillium mold cultures that are injected into the cheese and allowed to grow during ripening. This open-pore structure, combined with high moisture content, creates conditions where Listeria monocytogenes can survive and grow — even in refrigeration.

Pasteurization kills Listeria in the milk before cheesemaking. But most traditional blue cheeses use raw (unpasteurized) milk because cheesemakers argue it produces better flavor complexity. The EU permits raw milk cheeses as artisan products; the US permits them if aged over 60 days, but blue cheese is mold-ripened, not long-aged in the pathogen-killing sense.

⚠️ Why This Matters During Pregnancy Listeria is 10–20x more dangerous to pregnant people than to the general population. During pregnancy, the immune system is partially suppressed, making it harder to fight Listeria before it reaches the placenta. Listeriosis in pregnancy causes miscarriage in about 20% of cases, stillbirth, preterm labor, or severe neonatal infection. The CDC estimates that pregnant people are 10 times more likely to contract Listeria than other healthy adults.

Pasteurized vs. Unpasteurized Blue Cheese: How to Tell

In the US, the label "made with pasteurized milk" or "pasteurized process" is required on packaging if pasteurized milk was used. Here's how common blue cheeses break down:

🔑 Key Rule In the US, most mass-market blue cheese crumbles (the kind sold in containers at supermarkets) are made from pasteurized milk. The label will say it. Imported European varieties and restaurant blue cheese are more likely to be raw-milk products. The safest approach: only eat it if you can read "pasteurized milk" on the label with your own eyes.

Blue Cheese Decision Tree: Safe or Avoid?

Blue cheese available

Label: pasteurized

✅ Safe to Eat

Unlabeled / raw milk

⚠️ Options Below

❌ Skip it — not worth the risk

✅ Cook to 158°F

The One Exception: Cooking Blue Cheese to 158°F

Cooking destroys Listeria. The UK's National Health Service (NHS), the ACOG, and food safety authorities agree that heating soft cheese — including blue cheese — to 158°F (70°C) until steaming throughout makes it safe during pregnancy.

This is why blue cheese on a hot pizza, in a hot pasta sauce, or as melted blue cheese dressing over a hot steak is generally considered safe — as long as it was actually cooked through, not just warmed.

💡 Safe Ways to Eat Blue Cheese During Pregnancy

Blue cheese melted on a hot burger or steak — verify it's visibly melted and steaming
Blue cheese in a hot pasta dish — make sure it's been in the sauce long enough to heat through
Blue cheese crumbles on a hot baked potato — the heat kills Listeria
Blue cheese dip served hot (fondue style) — safe if maintained above 158°F
Pasteurized supermarket crumbles eaten cold — safe if label confirmed

Common Blue Cheese Products by Safety Status

✅

Kraft Crumbled Blue Cheese, Sargento Blue Cheese Crumbles, BelGioioso Gorgonzola (pasteurized) Supermarket packaged crumbles made in the US — almost universally pasteurized. Check the label to confirm.

⚠️

Restaurant blue cheese dressing or crumbles May use imported raw-milk cheese from specialty distributors. Ask your server if the cheese used is pasteurized, or substitute with ranch (typically pasteurized).

❌

Roquefort, authentic Stilton, Gorgonzola Piccante, imported artisan blue cheeses Traditional varieties require raw milk to carry their protected designation of origin (PDO). Avoid unless confirmed pasteurized or cooked to 158°F.

The safest blue cheese during pregnancy is the crumbled variety from a US supermarket package. Check for "pasteurized milk" on the ingredient list — if it's there, you're clear.

Nutritional Value of Blue Cheese

📌 Nutritional Note Blue cheese provides meaningful calcium and B12 for pregnancy, but the quantity typically used (1–2 oz as a topping) means these contributions are modest. If you're avoiding blue cheese, cheddar, Swiss, and pasteurized goat cheese provide comparable nutrients without the Listeria concern. Hard cheeses like cheddar and Parmesan don't carry the same risk because their low moisture content inhibits Listeria growth.

✅ Bottom Line Blue cheese during pregnancy is considered safe if — and only if — it's made from pasteurized milk (look for it on the label) or cooked to 158°F until steaming. Traditional European blue cheeses (Roquefort, Stilton, authentic Gorgonzola) typically use raw milk and should be avoided unless the label explicitly states pasteurized. US supermarket crumbles are usually pasteurized and safe. When in doubt, skip it or cook it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can blue cheese cause miscarriage? Listeria infection from contaminated blue cheese can cause miscarriage — the CDC estimates listeriosis in pregnancy results in miscarriage in approximately 20% of cases and stillbirth in a further 8%. This is why the CDC and ACOG specifically list blue-veined cheeses on the avoidance list unless pasteurized. The risk is real but proportional to actual contamination of the specific cheese, which is why pasteurization status matters so much.

Is blue cheese dressing safe during pregnancy? Bottled blue cheese dressing from major brands (Hidden Valley, Ken's, Kraft) is generally safe — it uses pasteurized cheese and has preservatives that inhibit Listeria growth. Fresh-made blue cheese dressing from a restaurant is less certain; ask what cheese was used. The safest approach at a restaurant is to request ranch or Caesar (anchovies aside) instead.

What other soft cheeses should I avoid during pregnancy? The CDC's avoid list includes: Brie, Camembert, feta (unless pasteurized), queso fresco, queso blanco, panela, and all blue-veined cheeses unless pasteurized. In practice, feta and queso fresco sold in US supermarkets are frequently pasteurized — check labels. Brie and Camembert are more consistently made with raw milk and are higher risk.

I ate blue cheese before I knew I was pregnant. What should I do? One-time exposures to blue cheese are unlikely to cause listeriosis. If you ate blue cheese without knowing you were pregnant and subsequently feel fine, the risk from that single exposure is low. Monitor for Listeria symptoms (fever, muscle aches, nausea) in the 1–4 week window after exposure. If you develop symptoms, contact your OB-GYN immediately and mention the potential exposure.

Sources

Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Consult your OB-GYN or midwife for dietary guidance specific to your pregnancy. If you've had a potential Listeria exposure, contact your healthcare provider promptly.

Last updated: June 2026