OatleafCan I eat brie cheese while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Brie can carry listeria. US advice (FDA) is to choose brie made with pasteurized milk. UK advice (NHS) is to eat brie, even pasteurized, only cooked until steaming hot.
Breastfeeding is not on CDC's list of groups at higher risk from listeria (pregnancy, newborns, age 65 and older, weakened immunity). While breastfeeding, soft cheese is commonly considered fine; pasteurized cheese is the lower-risk choice.
Safer swaps while pregnant
- Pasteurized brie
- Hard cheeses like cheddar
- Swiss cheese
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How these answers are made
Oatleaf answers come from public food-safety guidance, mainly the CDC, FDA and EPA for the US and the NHS for the UK. Each answer cites the pages it relies on, and every link was opened and checked in October 2026. Where US and UK advice differ, the answer says so. Written by the Oatleaf team at Astralab Studios. It is general information, not medical advice.
Last reviewed October 2026.