Cream cheese is safe to eat during pregnancy, as long as it’s made from pasteurized milk. The CDC lists cream cheese as a “Safer Choice” for pregnant women alongside cottage cheese, string cheese, feta, and mozzarella, all with the same condition: pasteurized milk. Since virtually all commercial cream cheese sold in the United States is made from pasteurized milk, the brand you’d grab at any grocery store is fine.
Why Cream Cheese Gets the Green Light
The main cheese-related concern during pregnancy is a bacterium called Listeria, which can cause serious complications including miscarriage, preterm labor, and stillbirth. Listeria thrives in soft cheeses made from raw (unpasteurized) milk, where the bacteria can survive and multiply. Pasteurization, the process of heating milk to a specific temperature, kills Listeria along with other harmful organisms like E. coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter.
A large European meta-analysis found Listeria was present in about 2.3% of all cheese samples tested, but only 0.2% exceeded dangerous contamination levels. That overall figure includes raw-milk varieties. Pasteurized commercial cream cheese carries a much lower risk because the manufacturing process eliminates the bacteria before the cheese is even packaged.
Which Types Are Safe
Regular cream cheese, whipped cream cheese, and flavored cream cheese spreads from the grocery store are all safe. These products are regulated under federal standards that specify permitted ingredients: pasteurized milk or cream, salt, stabilizers in small amounts, and clotting enzymes. Nothing in a standard commercial cream cheese poses a pregnancy-specific risk.
The one type to avoid is cream cheese made from raw milk. You’re unlikely to encounter this at a regular supermarket, but you might find it at farmers’ markets, artisan cheese shops, or homemade by someone who keeps dairy animals. Raw milk can carry Listeria, Campylobacter, Brucella, E. coli, and Salmonella. Pregnant women are at higher risk of serious illness from these pathogens. If you’re unsure whether a cream cheese was made with pasteurized milk, check the label or ask before eating it.
Safe Storage and Handling
Cream cheese doesn’t have a long shelf life once opened. Use it within two weeks of opening or by the expiration date, whichever comes first. Keep it refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below, and don’t leave it sitting out on the counter for extended periods. Bacteria grow rapidly between 40°F and 140°F, so if cream cheese has been at room temperature for more than two hours, it’s best to toss it.
When using cream cheese in recipes, pay attention to how the finished dish is stored too. A cream cheese dip left out at a party for hours, for example, isn’t ideal. If you’re at a gathering and aren’t sure how long something has been sitting out, skip it.
Nutritional Considerations
Cream cheese is not a particularly nutrient-dense food. Compared to harder cheeses like cheddar or Swiss, it’s lower in calcium and protein per serving. A typical one-ounce serving has around 1 gram of protein and relatively little calcium, so it shouldn’t be your primary dairy source during pregnancy. It also tends to be high in saturated fat and sodium relative to the nutrients it provides.
That said, cream cheese in normal amounts is perfectly fine as part of a varied diet. Spread on a whole-grain bagel, mixed into a recipe, or used as a base for a veggie dip, it’s a reasonable food to enjoy. Just don’t rely on it to meet your increased calcium or protein needs during pregnancy. Greek yogurt, hard cheeses, and milk are better choices for that.
Cream Cheese in Restaurants and Prepared Foods
Cream cheese used in restaurants, bakeries, and pre-made foods like cheesecake, frosting, or sushi rolls is almost always made from pasteurized milk. Commercial food service operations in the U.S. overwhelmingly use standard pasteurized products. The same applies to cream cheese in packaged foods like frozen cheesecake or ready-made sandwiches.
The only scenario that warrants a second thought is a small artisan producer or a homemade product where you can’t verify whether the milk was pasteurized. In those cases, just ask. If you can’t get a clear answer, choose something else.