Can You Eat Cream Cheese While Pregnant?
Yes — cream cheese is safe in pregnancy. It's a pasteurised soft cheese, not a mould-ripened one.
The full answer
Cream cheese is safe in pregnancy. Even though it's soft, it's made from pasteurised milk and isn't mould-ripened, so it doesn't carry the listeria risk that soft, white-rind cheeses like brie do. That means cream cheese on a bagel, in a dip, in cheesecake, or in cooking is all fine. The same goes for similar spreadable, pasteurised soft cheeses such as cottage cheese, mascarpone, ricotta, and processed cheese spreads. The only thing to keep an eye on is the usual one for any chilled food: store it properly, keep it refrigerated, and don't eat it past its use-by date. Otherwise, enjoy it freely.
How to eat cream cheese safely
- Enjoy on bagels, in dips, in baking, and in cooking
- Other safe pasteurised soft cheeses: cottage, mascarpone, ricotta
- Keep it refrigerated and within its use-by date
When to avoid: No need to avoid it — just store it cold and don't use it past its use-by date.
Cream Cheese by trimester
| Stage | What changes |
|---|---|
| First trimester | Cream cheese is made from pasteurised milk and isn't mould-ripened, so it's generally considered fine — it's one of the soft cheeses that doesn't fall under the usual caution. |
| Second trimester | Unchanged. It's a straightforward option when you want something soft and mild and are avoiding other cheeses. |
| Third trimester | Still fine. Normal chilled-food handling — use by the date, keep it refrigerated — is all that applies. |
Common questions about cream cheese in pregnancy
Is cream cheese safe in pregnancy?
Generally yes. It's pasteurised and not mould-ripened, which is the combination that makes brie and blue cheese different. Standard supermarket cream cheese is usually considered fine.
What about cream cheese on a bagel with smoked salmon?
The cream cheese isn't the question — the smoked salmon is, and advice on that varies by country. Worth separating the two rather than avoiding the whole thing.
Is there anything to check on the label?
Just that it's pasteurised, which supermarket cream cheese almost always is. Artisan or unpasteurised soft cheeses are a different category.
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 cream cheese while pregnant?
- Yes — cream cheese is safe in pregnancy. It's a pasteurised soft cheese, not a mould-ripened one. Cream cheese is safe in pregnancy. Even though it's soft, it's made from pasteurised milk and isn't mould-ripened, so it doesn't carry the listeria risk that soft, white-rind cheeses like brie do. That means cream cheese on a bagel, in a dip, in cheesecake, or in cooking is all fine. The same goes for similar spreadable, pasteurised soft cheeses such as cottage cheese, mascarpone, ricotta, and processed cheese spreads. The only thing to keep an eye on is the usual one for any chilled food: store it properly, keep it refrigerated, and don't eat it past its use-by date. Otherwise, enjoy it freely.
- Why is cream cheese considered safe in pregnancy?
- Cream cheese is safe in pregnancy. Even though it's soft, it's made from pasteurised milk and isn't mould-ripened, so it doesn't carry the listeria risk that soft, white-rind cheeses like brie do. That means cream cheese on a bagel, in a dip, in cheesecake, or in cooking is all fine. The same goes for similar spreadable, pasteurised soft cheeses such as cottage cheese, mascarpone, ricotta, and processed cheese spreads. The only thing to keep an eye on is the usual one for any chilled food: store it properly, keep it refrigerated, and don't eat it past its use-by date. Otherwise, enjoy it freely.
- When should I avoid cream cheese during pregnancy?
- No need to avoid it — just store it cold and don't use it past its use-by date.