Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Pregnancy food advice has a way of making eating feel stressful rather than straightforward. A well-meaning relative mentions something they heard. A Google search returns conflicting lists. Your midwife says one thing and a website says another.

The reality is that the list of foods genuinely worth avoiding during pregnancy is shorter and more logical than most people expect. The restrictions exist for specific reasons — primarily the risk of listeria, salmonella, toxoplasmosis, and mercury — and understanding those reasons makes the guidance much easier to follow and remember.

This guide is based on Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) guidance, which is the authoritative Australian source on food safety during pregnancy. When in doubt, FSANZ's pregnancy food safety resources at foodstandards.gov.au are the most reliable reference.

Why certain foods carry risk during pregnancy

Your immune system functions differently during pregnancy, which makes you more susceptible to certain foodborne illnesses than you would be otherwise. More importantly, some of those illnesses can cross the placenta and affect your baby even when your own symptoms are mild.

The main risks are:

Listeria is a bacteria found in certain ready-to-eat foods. In most adults, a listeria infection causes mild flu-like symptoms. During pregnancy, it can cause miscarriage, premature birth, or serious illness in the newborn. Listeria is unusual in that it can grow at refrigerator temperatures, which is why the foods associated with it need to be avoided rather than simply refrigerated carefully.

Salmonella is most commonly associated with raw or undercooked eggs and poultry. It causes significant gastrointestinal illness and during pregnancy the dehydration and fever it produces carry additional risks.

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection associated with raw and undercooked meat and unwashed produce. It can cause serious complications for a developing baby even when the mother experiences no symptoms.

Mercury is a heavy metal that accumulates in certain fish species. High mercury intake during pregnancy can affect fetal brain and nervous system development. The risk is specific to certain fish types rather than seafood generally.

Foods to avoid during pregnancy in Australia

Raw and undercooked meat and poultry

All meat should be cooked thoroughly during pregnancy, with no pink visible and juices running clear. This applies to poultry, red meat, and processed meats like salami, prosciutto, and other cured meats that haven't been cooked. The risk here is both toxoplasmosis and salmonella.

Pre-packaged deli meats and cold sliced meats from delis are also on the avoid list due to listeria risk. If you want to eat deli meats during pregnancy, heating them until steaming hot before eating reduces the risk significantly.

Raw or undercooked eggs

Raw eggs and dishes containing them — homemade mayonnaise, some mousses, raw cake batter, and traditional Caesar dressing made with raw egg — carry a salmonella risk. Eggs that are fully cooked with both the white and yolk set are safe. In Australia, commercially produced mayonnaise and aioli are made with pasteurised eggs and are generally safe, but homemade versions made with raw eggs are not.

Certain seafood

Seafood during pregnancy is a topic that causes more anxiety than it needs to. The guidance from FSANZ is specific rather than blanket.

Fish to avoid or strictly limit due to high mercury content include shark (also sold as flake), broadbill, marlin, swordfish, and orange roughy. These should be avoided entirely. Catfish and other species with moderate mercury levels should be limited to one serve per fortnight.

Most other seafood is safe and beneficial during pregnancy. Salmon, sardines, trout, prawns, crab, and tinned tuna in moderate amounts are all fine. FSANZ recommends two to three serves of low-mercury fish per week for pregnant women because the omega-3 benefits are genuinely important for fetal brain development.

Raw seafood — sushi, oysters, sashimi, and raw shellfish — carries both listeria and other bacterial risks and should be avoided. Cooked sushi rolls and fully cooked seafood are safe.

Soft and unpasteurised cheeses

Soft, surface-ripened cheeses including brie, camembert, ricotta, feta, and blue cheese carry a listeria risk unless they are made from pasteurised milk and have been cooked until steaming hot. In Australia, most commercially sold soft cheeses are made from pasteurised milk, but the surface mould on cheeses like brie and camembert can still harbour listeria. The safest approach is to avoid these unless they have been thoroughly cooked.

Hard cheeses including cheddar, parmesan, and colby are safe. Processed cheeses and cream cheese are also safe. Full-fat yoghurt made from pasteurised milk is safe and is a good calcium source during pregnancy.

Unpasteurised dairy products

Unpasteurised or raw milk and products made from it carry listeria and other bacterial risks and should be avoided entirely during pregnancy. In Australia, the sale of raw drinking milk is illegal in most states, but some raw milk cheeses are available through specialty retailers and should be avoided.

Pre-prepared and ready-to-eat foods

Certain ready-to-eat foods carry elevated listeria risk because they sit at room temperature or are refrigerated for extended periods before consumption. These include pre-prepared salads from deli counters or salad bars, cold coleslaw from delis, pre-cut fruit from salad bars, pate and meat spreads, and cold smoked seafood including smoked salmon unless it is cooked or used as an ingredient in a hot dish.

Freshly prepared food from clean environments is generally lower risk than food that has been sitting in a display cabinet for an unknown period of time.

Unwashed fruit and vegetables

Raw fruit and vegetables are healthy and important during pregnancy, but they should be thoroughly washed before eating to reduce the risk of toxoplasmosis and other soil-borne contamination. This applies to all fresh produce including vegetables you plan to peel.

Sprouts

Raw sprouts including alfalfa, clover, and mung bean sprouts carry a risk of salmonella and other bacteria and are best avoided or cooked thoroughly before eating. Bean sprouts that are cooked in stir-fries and soups are safe.

Foods to limit rather than avoid

Caffeine

Caffeine isn't off the menu entirely during pregnancy, but the Australian recommendation is to limit intake to 200mg per day. That's roughly one standard espresso-based coffee, two cups of instant coffee, or four cups of tea. High caffeine intake during pregnancy has been associated with low birth weight and other complications. Herbal teas vary in safety and some should be avoided — check with a health professional if you're unsure about a specific variety.

Tinned tuna

Tinned tuna has lower mercury than fresh tuna but should still be limited to two to three tins per week rather than eaten daily. Fresh tuna should be limited to one serve per fortnight.

Licorice

High consumption of real licorice containing glycyrrhizin has been associated with some adverse pregnancy outcomes in research studies. Occasional consumption is unlikely to be a concern, but eating large amounts regularly is worth avoiding.

Things that are fine and often misunderstood

Chocolate, full-fat dairy from pasteurised sources, decaf coffee, cooked seafood, hard cheeses, tinned fish within the limits above, well-cooked eggs, commercially made mayonnaise, and the occasional glass of something non-alcoholic that merely resembles wine are all fine. Many of the food fears circulating online go well beyond what Australian health authorities actually recommend.

Alcohol is in a separate category entirely. FSANZ and the National Health and Medical Research Council advise that no safe level of alcohol during pregnancy has been established, and that avoiding alcohol entirely is the safest approach.

A practical approach

Rather than trying to memorise a list, the underlying logic is straightforward. Avoid things that are raw, refrigerated for a long time before eating, unpasteurised, or known to accumulate environmental contaminants. Cook meat and eggs thoroughly. Wash all fresh produce. Choose freshly prepared food over pre-made deli items. Be specific about which fish to limit rather than avoiding seafood altogether.

If you're unsure about a specific food, FSANZ at foodstandards.gov.au has a comprehensive and regularly updated pregnancy food safety guide that is worth bookmarking.