Can you eat ricotta when pregnant?

Find out if it's safe to eat ricotta during pregnancy, plus precautions to take to keep you and your baby healthy.

The official advice on eating ricotta in pregnancy

Good news, ricotta is safe to eat during pregnancy. You can enjoy ricotta on its own and in sweet and savoury dishes.

The NHS says it's safe to eat soft cheese like ricotta when you're pregnant, as long as it's made from pasteurised milk. This is because the process of pasteurising kills off any harmful bacteria.

Unpasteurised soft cheeses may contain the bacteria listeria, which, in rare cases, can cause an infection called listeriosis. Listeriosis can make your unborn baby very unwell and may lead to miscarriage or stillbirth.

Most ricotta sold in the UK is pasteurised. If you come across unpasteurised ricotta, you should only eat it if it's thoroughly cooked throughout. This kills off the listeria bacteria, making it safe to eat.

Delicious ricotta recipes

Love ricotta? Why not try one of these great pregnancy-safe recipes?

Ricotta pancakes with poached cherries

Spinach and ricotta cannelloni

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Strawberry ricotta tart

We like The Whole 9 Months, a week-by-week pregnancy nutrition guide, packed full of recipes and medical advice. See more details here at Amazon.

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Looking for more pregnancy diet info? Check out our articles below, or swap tips with other mums-to-be in our forum.

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