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.
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.