Is Cheddar Cheese Safe During Pregnancy? (Updated 2026 Guide)
Updated September 9, 2026
The Answer
Yes choose cheddar made with pasteurized milk, keep it refrigerated, and follow the package’s use by and after opening instructions. Our catalog contains 159 A grade entries among 184 products, but ingredient grades do not certify pregnancy safety or detect contamination.
The main pregnancy consideration is foodborne infection, especially Listeria, rather than cheddar itself or its ordinary food additives. Choose a confirmed pasteurized version; aging and culturing are not substitutes for pasteurization. Beer, bourbon, porter, or whiskey in flavored cheddar require attention to actual residual alcohol exposure the ingredient name alone does not establish the dose in a serving.
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✓ What's Safe
- • Check the exact package for a statement that the milk is pasteurized, including when buying a different size or flavor.
- • Choose cheddar that has been kept refrigerated, and refrigerate it at home according to its label.
- • Read both the use by date and instructions for how long to keep the cheese after opening.
- • Ask the manufacturer or seller to confirm pasteurization when the label says only milk or cultured milk.
- • Choose plain pasteurized cheddar if you want to avoid uncertainty about alcohol remaining in beer- or spirit flavored varieties.
✗ What to Avoid
- • Avoid cheddar labeled raw milk or unpasteurized milk when following the pasteurized cheese approach recommended here.
- • Do not treat aged, sharp, mature, smoked, or cultured as confirmation that the milk was pasteurized.
- • Avoid eating cheddar that has not been stored according to its refrigeration and after opening instructions.
- • Do not assume beer, bourbon, porter, or whiskey has left no residual alcohol in a flavored cheese; ask about the finished product or choose plain cheddar.
- • Avoid using an A grade, a familiar brand, or an incomplete ingredient record as a substitute for checking the actual package and handling.
Most Common Ingredients in Cheddar Cheese Products
We analyzed 184 cheddar cheese products. Here are the most common ingredients, ranked by how often they appear:
Ingredients to Watch Out For in Cheddar Cheese
These are the most common flagged ingredients across 184 cheddar cheese products we analyzed.
unpasteurized milk
Avoid
Unpasteurized milk is raw milk that has not been heat treated to kill bacteria, offering a natural, unaltered dairy product.
Can carry Listeria and other foodborne pathogens; pregnancy listeriosis can harm the fetus or newborn even when maternal illness seems mild.
Flagged in 5 of 184 products (3%)
beer
Avoid
Beer is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from malted barley, hops, yeast, and water, known for its diverse flavors and refreshing qualities.
Has no established safe amount in pregnancy and is linked to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and other adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Flagged in 2 of 184 products (1%)
bourbon
Avoid
Bourbon is a rich, amber colored American whiskey known for its sweet, smoky flavor with notes of caramel, vanilla, and oak.
Has no established safe amount in pregnancy and is linked to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and other adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Flagged in 2 of 184 products (1%)
cheddar cheese aged over 100 days cultured unpasteurized milk
Avoid
Aged over 100 days, this cheddar cheese is crafted from unpasteurized milk, resulting in a rich, complex flavor profile.
Can carry Listeria and other foodborne pathogens; pregnancy listeriosis can harm the fetus or newborn even when maternal illness seems mild.
Flagged in 1 of 184 products (1%)
natural and artificial horseradish flavor
Caution
A bold, spicy flavoring derived from both natural horseradish extract and artificial flavorings to enhance savory dishes.
Is generally compatible at normal condiment amounts but should be avoided in medicinal products or large regular doses due to limited pregnancy data and possible uterine and irritant effects.
Flagged in 1 of 184 products (1%)
natural horseradish flavor
Caution
A pungent, spicy flavor derived from natural horseradish roots, adding a sharp kick to dishes.
Is generally compatible at normal condiment amounts but should be avoided in medicinal products or large regular doses due to limited pregnancy data and possible uterine and irritant effects.
Flagged in 1 of 184 products (1%)
porter
Avoid
Porter is a dark, rich style of beer known for its roasted malt flavors, often featuring notes of chocolate, coffee, and caramel.
Has no established safe amount in pregnancy and is linked to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and other adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Flagged in 1 of 184 products (1%)
sodium nitrite
Caution
Sodium nitrite is a chemical compound commonly used as a preservative and color fixative in processed meats.
Is regulated at low food additive levels, but frequent cured or processed meat intake has limited observational pregnancy concerns; cyanide antidote and contaminated water exposures are separate issues.
Flagged in 1 of 184 products (1%)
Cheddar Cheese Products We've Analyzed
Our catalog contains ratings for 184 cheddar cheese products. These are database grades, not independent safety certifications.
Catalog ingredient grades are not pregnancy safety certifications, a check of current labels, or measurements of caffeine, pathogens or handling. Not all candidates were independently reviewed.
Pregnancy Safe Cheddar Cheese Products
Popular options from our catalog, prioritizing A and B ingredient grades, with C grade options used to fill remaining places. Within each group, products are ordered by searches in Pregnancy Safe, not retail sales. Read the cautions and guidance above; grades do not verify a complete current label or guarantee pregnancy safety.
| Grade | Product | Brand |
|---|---|---|
| A | Grassfed Irish Oak Smoked Cheddar, Grassfed Irish | Mc Call'S |
| A | Natural Sharp Cheddar | Truly Grass Fed |
| A | Balderson Double Smoked Cheddar Aged 1 Year | Balderson |
| A | Medium Cheddar | Tillamook |
| A | Aged Irish Cheddar | Kerrygold |
Your Questions Answered
Can you eat cheddar cheese when pregnant?
Yes pasteurized cheddar is an appropriate choice when it has been stored and handled correctly. You can eat ordinary pasteurized hard cheddar cold; it does not need the same preparation as mold ripened soft cheese. Check the exact package and follow its refrigeration, use by, and after opening instructions.
What cheeses are not okay during pregnancy?
Choosing pasteurized cheese avoids the raw milk concern, but cheese type also matters. Mold ripened soft cheeses and soft blue cheeses have different guidance from hard cheddar and should be cooked until steaming hot. CDC advises heating queso fresco type cheeses even when they are made with pasteurized milk. This does not mean every soft cheese must be avoided.
Is all cheddar cheese pasteurized?
No cheddar can be made with pasteurized or unpasteurized milk. Look for an explicit pasteurization statement rather than relying on its name, brand, or appearance. Milk or cultured milk alone does not confirm pasteurization; ask the manufacturer if the package is unclear.
Does aging make raw milk cheddar the same as pasteurized cheddar?
No aging and pasteurization are different processes. A statement such as aged over 100 days does not mean the milk was heat treated to kill pathogens. For the pasteurized cheese approach recommended here, choose aged cheddar that also explicitly confirms pasteurized milk.
Can I eat cheddar flavored with beer or whiskey?
The presence of beer, porter, bourbon, or whiskey does not tell you how much alcohol remains in a serving of cheese. Guidance to avoid drinking alcohol during pregnancy does not establish that a small serving of flavored cheddar delivers an equivalent exposure. Ask the manufacturer about residual alcohol in the finished cheese, or choose plain pasteurized cheddar to avoid that uncertainty.
Are dill or horseradish flavors a reason to avoid cheddar?
Dill weed is a culinary herb, not cannabis; the word weed does not make it a cannabis exposure. Horseradish used in ordinary food flavoring amounts is also different from medicinal preparations or large regular doses. Concerns about those higher dose preparations do not establish harm from a normal serving of horseradish flavored cheddar. Pasteurization and safe storage remain the main checks.
Does an A grade mean cheddar is guaranteed safe during pregnancy?
No an ingredient grade cannot detect Listeria, verify refrigeration, or certify that a package is uncontaminated. Our catalog contains 184 cheddar products, including 159 with an A grade, but not all were independently label reviewed. A lower grade likewise is not, by itself, proof that a product is harmful. Check the exact version, pasteurization statement, and storage instructions regardless of its grade.
How to Interpret These Ratings
Our ingredient and category rules generate letter grades from the information recorded in the catalog. Missing ingredients and broad category assignments can affect the result. These grades do not measure your dose, confirm a complete current label, or test a product for contamination.
A high grade is not a guarantee of pregnancy safety. A low grade is not, by itself, proof of harm from every use. Follow the product-specific guidance above, check the actual package, and ask your prenatal clinician about supplements, treatment decisions or uncertain exposures.
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References
- https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/prevention/index.html
- https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/foods-to-avoid/
- https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/foods/raw-milk.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/foods/pregnant-women.html
- https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/dangers-raw-milk-unpasteurized-milk-can-pose-serious-health-risk
- https://www.fda.gov/food/people-risk-foodborne-illness/food-safety-booklet-pregnant-women-their-unborn-babies-and-children-under-five
- https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/listeria-and-pregnancy
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