Is feta cheese safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about feta cheese during pregnancy?

1. Feta is one of the soft cheeses to skip unless the label states pasteurized milk, along with Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, and Mexican-style queso blanco, queso fresco, and Panela. 1
2. A listeria infection during pregnancy can raise the chance of infection in the uterus, preterm delivery before 37 weeks, and low birth weight. 1
3. Pregnancy raises the risk of listeria infection by roughly 18-fold compared with the general population, tied to pregnancy's naturally lowered immune response, with soft cheese among the recognized ways it spreads. 2
4. Pregnancy raises listeria infection rates to 10 to 100 times the general population's, and it has historically led to fetal loss in at least 25 percent of cases, which is why the pasteurization check is worth the extra ten seconds even without symptoms. 3
5. A pasteurization label lowers but doesn't fully remove risk if handling slips after processing: a 2021 multistate outbreak was traced to a fresh, soft Hispanic-style queso fresco that was actually made with pasteurized milk. That's one more reason to favor sealed, properly refrigerated retail cheese over feta of unclear handling. 4

Is feta cheese safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. The pasteurization check matters from the very start: look for the word 'pasteurized' on the label, or ask your server before ordering feta at a restaurant. Listeria infection early in pregnancy has been linked to pregnancy loss, so this isn't a habit to put off until later.
• Second trimester. The rule stays the same in the second trimester, but this is when soft cheeses from farmers markets, delis, or specialty shops are easiest to miss, since they're less likely to carry a clear pasteurization label than supermarket feta. A 2021 outbreak tied to a soft, fresh cheese is a reminder that freshness and proper refrigeration still matter, even for cheese labeled pasteurized.
• Third trimester. Listeria infection in the third trimester carries the most serious potential consequences, including preterm labor and serious newborn illness. Keep asking about pasteurization at restaurants and choosing sealed, labeled feta as delivery gets closer. If you get a fever, muscle aches, or flu-like symptoms after eating cheese of uncertain origin, call your healthcare provider right away.