Can You Eat Brie While Pregnant?
Avoid brie unless it's cooked until steaming hot — soft, mould-ripened cheese can carry listeria.
The full answer
Brie is a soft, mould-ripened cheese with a white rind, and that combination of moisture, low acidity, and surface mould can let listeria grow — which is why uncooked brie is advised against in pregnancy, even when it's made from pasteurised milk. Listeriosis is rare but can be serious because it can reach the baby. The good news is that cooking solves it: brie baked until it's piping hot all the way through — in a tart, melted on toast, or baked whole until steaming — is safe, because heat kills listeria. A cold brie on a cheeseboard is the thing to skip. The same rule covers camembert and other soft, white-rind cheeses.
How to eat brie safely
- Baked until steaming hot throughout: safe
- Skip cold brie from a cheeseboard or sandwich
- Same rule applies to camembert and similar white-rind cheeses
When to avoid: Avoid uncooked brie; only eat it cooked until steaming hot.
Brie by trimester
| Stage | What changes |
|---|---|
| First trimester | Brie is a mould-ripened soft cheese, which is the category pregnancy guidance singles out — softer, less acidic conditions that suit listeria better than a hard cheese does. |
| Second trimester | Unchanged. Baked brie is the standard workaround and is genuinely fine when it's piping hot throughout. |
| Third trimester | Same guidance. A cheese board is the situation to think about; a hot baked dish is not. |
Common questions about brie in pregnancy
Can I eat brie while pregnant?
Cold brie is generally advised against because it's a mould-ripened soft cheese. Baked until steaming hot throughout, it's usually considered fine — which is why baked brie comes up so often as the answer.
Does it matter if it's pasteurised?
It helps but doesn't fully resolve it under most guidance, because the mould-ripening process itself creates conditions that suit listeria. That's why brie is treated differently from pasteurised cream cheese.
How hot does baked brie need to be?
Steaming hot all the way through, not just melted at the edges. Warm in the centre isn't enough.
Pregnancy food-safety basics
Most “can I have this?” questions in pregnancy come down to four things. Listeria — a bacterium that survives the fridge — is why chilled ready-to-eat meats, pâté, and mould-ripened soft cheeses are heated or avoided. Mercury is why certain fish are limited. Caffeine is capped at about 200 mg a day. And alcohol is best avoided entirely, as no safe amount is known. Cooking food until it’s steaming hot kills listeria and most other bugs, which is why “heat until steaming” solves so many of these questions.
For the full picture, see our pregnancy safety guide, and track your pregnancy with the How Far Along Am I? calculator and the week-by-week guide.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you eat brie while pregnant?
- Avoid brie unless it's cooked until steaming hot — soft, mould-ripened cheese can carry listeria. Brie is a soft, mould-ripened cheese with a white rind, and that combination of moisture, low acidity, and surface mould can let listeria grow — which is why uncooked brie is advised against in pregnancy, even when it's made from pasteurised milk. Listeriosis is rare but can be serious because it can reach the baby. The good news is that cooking solves it: brie baked until it's piping hot all the way through — in a tart, melted on toast, or baked whole until steaming — is safe, because heat kills listeria. A cold brie on a cheeseboard is the thing to skip. The same rule covers camembert and other soft, white-rind cheeses.
- Why is brie something to be careful with in pregnancy?
- Brie is a soft, mould-ripened cheese with a white rind, and that combination of moisture, low acidity, and surface mould can let listeria grow — which is why uncooked brie is advised against in pregnancy, even when it's made from pasteurised milk. Listeriosis is rare but can be serious because it can reach the baby. The good news is that cooking solves it: brie baked until it's piping hot all the way through — in a tart, melted on toast, or baked whole until steaming — is safe, because heat kills listeria. A cold brie on a cheeseboard is the thing to skip. The same rule covers camembert and other soft, white-rind cheeses.
- When should I avoid brie during pregnancy?
- Avoid uncooked brie; only eat it cooked until steaming hot.