During pregnancy, your immune system is naturally suppressed, making you more vulnerable to foodborne infections that could harm your baby. The main risks come from a handful of bacteria and parasites, plus a few substances that can interfere with fetal development. Most foods are perfectly safe, but knowing which ones to skip (and which just need extra preparation) can save you a lot of worry.
High-Mercury Fish
Mercury accumulates in large, long-lived predatory fish and can damage a developing baby’s brain and nervous system. The fish to avoid entirely are shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, bigeye tuna, orange roughy, and marlin. These contain mercury levels high enough that no serving size is considered safe during pregnancy.
That doesn’t mean you should skip seafood altogether. Fish is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which support your baby’s brain development. The EPA and FDA recommend eating 8 to 12 ounces per week of lower-mercury options like salmon, shrimp, tilapia, sardines, catfish, pollock, trout, anchovies, and scallops. If you eat fish caught by family or friends, check local advisories first. If none exist, limit it to one serving that week and skip other fish.
Raw and Undercooked Seafood, Meat, and Eggs
Raw oysters, sushi made with raw fish, rare steak, runny eggs, and tartare all carry a risk of bacterial or parasitic infection. The concern is primarily salmonella, toxoplasmosis, and listeria, all of which can cross the placenta and cause serious complications including miscarriage, stillbirth, or infection in the newborn.
Cook all meat, poultry, and seafood to safe internal temperatures. Poultry should reach 165°F, ground meats 160°F, and whole cuts of beef, pork, or lamb 145°F with a three-minute rest. Eggs should be cooked until both the yolk and white are firm. That means skipping homemade Caesar dressing, raw cookie dough, hollandaise, and any dish that relies on partially cooked eggs unless you use pasteurized eggs.
Deli Meats, Hot Dogs, and Smoked Seafood
Deli meats, luncheon meats, hot dogs, and refrigerated smoked seafood (like smoked salmon or lox) can harbor listeria, a bacteria that thrives even at refrigerator temperatures. Listeria infection during pregnancy is about 10 times more common than in the general population, and it can cause devastating outcomes even when the mother’s symptoms seem mild.
You don’t have to give these up completely. The FDA says deli meats and hot dogs are safe if you reheat them until steaming hot, which means an internal temperature of 165°F. Eating them cold, straight from the package, is what carries the risk. The same applies to meat spreads or pâtés stored in the refrigerator. Shelf-stable, canned versions are a safer alternative.
Certain Soft Cheeses
Soft cheeses like brie, camembert, blue-veined varieties, queso fresco, queso blanco, and feta can contain listeria when made from unpasteurized (raw) milk. The CDC goes a step further and flags any queso fresco-type cheese as riskier regardless of whether it was made with pasteurized or unpasteurized milk, because these fresh, soft cheeses are more prone to contamination.
Always check the label. If a soft cheese says “made with pasteurized milk,” it’s generally considered safe. Cottage cheese, cream cheese, string cheese, and mozzarella made from pasteurized milk are fine. If you’re at a restaurant or farmers’ market and can’t verify, heating the cheese to 165°F eliminates the risk. Hard cheeses like cheddar and parmesan are safe regardless, because their low moisture makes bacterial growth unlikely.
Liver and Organ Meats
Liver is extraordinarily rich in preformed vitamin A, and too much of it during pregnancy can cause serious birth defects affecting the spine, eyes, ears, heart, and limbs. The UK government advises pregnant women to avoid liver and liver products (including pâté and liver sausage) entirely. Fish liver oil supplements carry the same risk. Other organ meats like kidney contain less vitamin A but are still worth limiting. If you’ve been taking a supplement containing retinol (the preformed type of vitamin A), switch to one designed for pregnancy, which uses beta-carotene instead.
Raw Sprouts
Alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung bean sprouts are one of the more surprising items on the avoid list. Bacteria can enter the sprout seed through tiny cracks in the shell before the plant even starts growing, and once inside, they’re nearly impossible to wash out. Even sprouts grown at home under clean conditions carry this risk, because if the seed is contaminated, the warm, humid sprouting environment multiplies bacteria rapidly. Multiple outbreaks have been traced to contaminated seeds.
Cooking sprouts thoroughly makes them safe. It’s only the raw, crunchy version on salads and sandwiches you need to skip.
Unpasteurized Milk and Juice
Raw milk and any dairy product made from it can carry listeria, salmonella, and E. coli. All milk sold across state lines in the U.S. is pasteurized, but locally produced dairy, especially from farm stands or small cheese makers, may not be. Always check the label.
The same goes for fresh-squeezed juices and cider. Unpasteurized juice sold at farmers’ markets, juice bars, or in the refrigerated section of grocery stores may not have undergone the heat treatment that kills harmful bacteria. Shelf-stable juice boxes and bottles have been pasteurized and are safe. If a juice isn’t labeled, assume it’s unpasteurized.
Alcohol
There is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy, and no safe trimester in which to drink. This applies to all types: wine, beer, cocktails, and liquor. The CDC is clear that the risk exists at every stage, from conception through delivery. Alcohol crosses the placenta freely and can cause a range of developmental problems collectively known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, which affect learning, behavior, and physical development permanently.
Caffeine
Caffeine doesn’t need to be eliminated, but it should be limited. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists sets the threshold at less than 200 mg per day, which is roughly one 12-ounce cup of brewed coffee. At that level, caffeine does not appear to be a major contributing factor in miscarriage or preterm birth.
Keep in mind that caffeine adds up from multiple sources. A cup of coffee, a cup of tea, a soda, and a piece of dark chocolate in the same day could push you past 200 mg. Tea generally contains 25 to 50 mg per cup, a 12-ounce cola about 35 mg, and dark chocolate around 20 mg per ounce.
Herbal Teas and Supplements
Not all herbal teas are safe during pregnancy, even though they’re caffeine-free. Several common herbs can stimulate uterine contractions or have toxic effects on the fetus. Black cohosh and blue cohosh are among the most concerning, as both may trigger contractions, and blue cohosh may be directly toxic to the developing baby. St. John’s wort, motherwort, and feverfew also carry contraction risks.
Some herbs you’d recognize from your spice rack, like basil, oregano, rosemary, and fennel, are fine as seasonings in normal cooking amounts but should be avoided in concentrated forms like teas or essential oils. Ginseng and kava kava lack enough safety data to recommend during pregnancy. Aloe vera juice or whole-leaf preparations can also stimulate contractions and should be avoided. If you enjoy herbal tea, stick to varieties specifically marketed as pregnancy-safe, and check the ingredient list for any of these herbs.
Produce Safety
Fruits and vegetables are essential during pregnancy, but how you prepare them matters. Rinse all raw produce thoroughly under running water before eating or cutting it, even items you plan to peel like cantaloupe and melons. Bacteria sitting on the rind can transfer to the flesh when you slice through it. Use a small vegetable brush for firm-skinned produce, and cut away any bruised or damaged areas where bacteria tend to concentrate. Don’t use soap or bleach on produce, as plain running water is the recommended method.
Pre-washed bagged salads are generally considered safe, but giving them an extra rinse doesn’t hurt. The bigger risk comes from pre-cut fruit sitting at room temperature for extended periods, like at a buffet, where bacteria can multiply quickly.