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Foods to avoid when pregnant
Key facts
- When you are pregnant, there are certain foods you should avoid eating, such as soft cheeses, unpasteurised milk products, raw meat, fish and eggs.
- You should wash all fruits and vegetables and avoid eating them if they are pre-cut.
- Try to limit the amount of large fish (flake, swordfish or marlin) you eat — they contain mercury, which can be harmful to your baby.
- Store leftovers in the fridge, reheat them thoroughly to a high temperature and do not eat them if they are more than one day old.
- Avoid alcohol and limit your caffeine intake.
Which foods should I avoid when I'm pregnant?
During pregnancy, your immune system (Opens in new tab) is weakened. This means you are more likely to get sick from viral (Opens in new tab) or bacterial infections (Opens in new tab).
For this reason, there are some foods you should avoid. If you’re unsure, talk with your midwife, GP or maternity care provider.
You should also follow basic food safety principles (Opens in new tab), such as:
- storing and preparing food safely
- washing your hands and bench surfaces before, during and after cooking
- following cooking instructions
- not eating food that is past its use-by date or where mould is visible
View full guide: Guide to food and drink during pregnancy.
Dairy products
You should not eat soft cheeses, such as brie, camembert, blue cheese, ricotta and feta.
These cheeses may contain listeria (Opens in new tab), a type of bacteria. Listeria may contaminate the cheese during the manufacturing process.
You can eat these cheeses if they are cooked to at least 75°C and eaten straight away.
You should not eat soft-serve ice cream. It is stored at a temperature that allows listeria to grow. You can eat frozen ice cream and gelato.
Eggs
You should not eat foods that contain raw or undercooked eggs, such as homemade mayonnaise, aioli, mousses or raw cake batter.
Do not use eggs with a dirty shell or eggs that were cracked and stored before use.
Fish and seafood
Fish is a healthy and nutritious part of your diet when you are pregnant.
It is important to limit your intake of large fish, such as:
- shark (flake)
- swordfish or broadbill
- marlin
Do not eat more than 150g in a 2-week period, and do not eat any other fish during that time.
These types of fish can contain high levels of mercury, which can be harmful.
Orange roughy (also called deep-sea perch) and catfish should be eaten no more than once a week. Do not eat any other fish during that week.
Other fish or seafood should be eaten no more than 2 to 3 times a week.
Do not eat raw or ready-to-eat fish or seafood. This includes raw oysters, sashimi, sushi, smoked salmon and pre-cooked prawns.
The safest way to enjoy sushi is to make your own.
Fruit and vegetables
You should avoid pre-prepared or pre-packaged fruit or vegetable salads, including those from buffets and salad bars. They are at risk of listeria contamination.
Do not eat rockmelon (cantaloupe) or any type of raw or lightly cooked bean sprouts, as they may contain listeria or salmonella (Opens in new tab).
At home, you should try to wash and scrub off dirt or other contaminants from your fruits and vegetables.
Meat
You should not eat raw or rare meat. Undercooked meat may contain bacteria, such as listeria and salmonella. Take care to make sure there is no pink left in pork, sausages and minced meat, including burgers.
Avoid cold cured meats, such as salami, ham and luncheon meat.
Do not eat:
- cold meats from delicatessen counters and sandwich bars
- packaged, sliced, ready-to-eat meats
- cold cooked, ready-to-eat chicken
Avoid all types of pâté. These may contain listeria. Hot takeaway chicken is safe to eat if you eat it immediately — store all leftovers in the fridge and use them within a day of cooking.
Avoid liver or liver products, as they contain a lot of vitamin A. This can be harmful to your baby.
Other foods
Sesame seeds may contain salmonella. It is best to avoid all sesame products, including hummus, tahini and halva.
Water
In Australia, drinking tap water is generally safe. You do not need to drink bottled or boiled water unless your local water supplier has issued a boil water alert or advised that your drinking water is unsafe.
If there is any concern about the safety of your water supply, use bottled water. This includes for brushing your teeth and making ice.
If bottled water is not available, you can boil the water:
- Bring water to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute.
- Allow to cool.
- Store in the fridge in a clean container with a lid.
Chlorine-based tablets can also be used to treat the water.
Be sure to stay hydrated while you’re pregnant by drinking enough water.
If you’re travelling overseas, avoid drinking tap water.
Which foods are safe to eat during pregnancy?
Eating a variety of healthy foods is good for you and your baby. Generally, the safest foods to eat are those that are freshly cooked or prepared.
Dairy products
Only drink and eat dairy products made from pasteurised milk. This type of milk is treated with mild heat to get rid of anything harmful.
You can eat hard cheeses such as cheddar, parmesan and edam.
Other types of cheese that you can eat are:
- cream cheese
- cheese spreads
- plain cottage cheese
These should be stored in the fridge and eaten within 2 days of opening.
Eggs
Make sure eggs are cooked until the whites and yolks are hard. This lowers the risk of salmonella.
You can eat commercially made products containing egg, such as mayonnaise. Make sure to store them correctly.
Fish and seafood
Fish contains protein (Opens in new tab) and essential omega-3 fatty acids, so it is recommended during pregnancy.
Cook fish and seafood to at least 63°C and eat them straight away.
Fruit and vegetables
You should try to include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
Wash fruit, vegetables and herbs to remove all traces of soil and dirt. Toxoplasma can sometimes be found in soil.
Meat
You must cook all meat and poultry to at least 75°C and eat it hot.
It is OK to eat processed meats if they are cooked to at least 75°C and eaten straight away. This includes salami, ham and luncheon meat.
Can I drink alcohol during pregnancy?
There is no safe level of alcohol during your pregnancy. Alcohol can harm your unborn baby.
Fermented drinks can contain small amounts of alcohol due to the way that they are made. These drinks include:
- kombucha
- kefir
- ginger beer
If you drink alcohol during pregnancy, your baby could develop fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Alcohol can also increase your risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth.
Can I have caffeine during pregnancy?
Caffeine is naturally found in lots of foods, such as coffee, tea and cocoa. It is also added to some soft drinks and energy drinks. Caffeine can cross the placenta, which means it can affect your baby.
You do not need to cut out caffeine completely, but do not have more than 200mg a day. This is equivalent to:
- 1 to 2 cups of espresso
- 3 cups of instant coffee
- 4 cups of medium strength tea
- 4 cups of hot chocolate
Energy drinks and double shots of espresso are not recommended during pregnancy.
Can I eat leftovers during pregnancy?
You should be cautious with leftover food, as it can become contaminated with bacteria.
You can safely eat leftovers if you put them straight in the fridge in a covered container. Do not keep them for more than a day and reheat until it is steaming hot all the way through.
Can I eat foods that my baby might be allergic to?
It is fine to eat foods considered to be highly allergenic if you have not previously had an allergic reaction to them.
It is not recommended to cut these foods out of your diet. This has not been shown to help prevent allergies in your baby.
What illnesses and toxins can I get from foods?
Some foods may be contaminated with germs — these can cause infections and may be harmful to you or your baby. Other foods can contain substances that can harm your baby.
If you are worried about something you have eaten, call your maternity care provider or doctor.
Listeriosis
Listeriosis is a rare bacterial infection. If your baby becomes infected, it can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or premature labour.
Symptoms of listeria can include:
- fever (Opens in new tab)
- headache (Opens in new tab)
- fatigue (Opens in new tab)
- aches (Opens in new tab)
Foods that can be contaminated with listeria are:
- soft cheeses — brie, camembert, ricotta, feta and blue cheese
- sandwich meats — ham, salami, devon, chicken meat
- bean sprouts
- pre-prepared salads
- pâté
Mercury
High levels of mercury can affect your baby's developing nervous system (Opens in new tab).
Some types of fish have higher levels of mercury than others. The highest levels are found in:
- shark (flake)
- marlin
- broadbill
- swordfish
- orange roughy (deep sea perch)
- catfish
Salmonella
The bacteria salmonella (Opens in new tab) can make you unwell with food poisoning. If you get it when you are pregnant, it can cause miscarriage. This is rare.
Foods that may be contaminated with salmonella are raw eggs such as in milkshakes, mayonnaise and aioli, lightly poached eggs, mousse and custard.
Always cook meat, chicken and eggs properly.
Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis is caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. If you are infected during pregnancy, it can cause a congenital disorder (birth difference) in your baby.
Foods and drinks that could be contaminated with toxoplasma include:
- raw or undercooked meat
- raw fruits and vegetables that have not been washed and peeled
- untreated water
Vitamin A
Too much vitamin A (Opens in new tab) (also called retinol) can harm your baby. Liver and liver products contain a lot of vitamin A. Try to limit how much you eat during pregnancy.
Resources and support
- Check out our handy guide to food and drink during pregnancy (infographic) (Opens in new tab). You can print it off to stick on your fridge or keep in your bag.
- Look at this quick reference table (Opens in new tab) by the NSW Government Food Authority to work out what's safe to eat.
- Visit Food Standards Australia New Zealand (Opens in new tab) for more information about what foods to avoid during pregnancy.
- The Raising Children’s Network has easy-to-read pictures on healthy eating in pregnancy (Opens in new tab).
Languages other than English
The National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder has information on alcohol in pregnancy available in many community languages (Opens in new tab).
Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples
- The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) has a Strong Born booklet (Opens in new tab) with information on quitting alcohol for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who are pregnant.
- The Queensland Department of Health has a resource on healthy food in pregnancy (Opens in new tab) available for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples
- The NSW government has a resource on keeping healthy through pregnancy (Opens in new tab).
Find out how we develop and review our content.
Last reviewed: April 2026
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