Is whipped cream safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about whipped cream during pregnancy?

1. Pasteurization applies moderate heat, up to around 212°F, to eliminate pathogens, and pasteurized dairy is not considered to raise risks when eaten during pregnancy or breastfeeding. 1
2. The dairy singled out in pregnancy advice is unpasteurized, raw milk and the products made from it, rather than ordinary pasteurized cream. 2
3. Listeria continues to grow at refrigerator temperatures near 4°C, which is the reason chilled dairy that has been left standing at room temperature is worth skipping even when it started out pasteurized. 3
4. Keeping the refrigerator at or below 40°F, or 4°C, slows the spread of listeria in stored food. 4
5. Milk itself is fortified with about 120 IU of vitamin D per cup in the US, but foods made from milk such as cheese and ice cream usually are not, so cream is not a meaningful vitamin D source. 5

Is whipped cream safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. Whipped cream is not something to plan around in the first trimester, though very rich foods can worsen queasiness for some people. If a hot chocolate with cream is what stays down, that is a fine reason to have it.
• Second trimester. Cafe and dessert whipped cream is pasteurized like the rest. The thing worth noticing is a bowl of freshly whipped cream sitting out at a party for hours, which is a temperature question rather than a pasteurization one.
• Third trimester. Keep an eye on total added sugar as gestational diabetes screening comes and goes. Unsweetened cream whipped at home lets you decide how much sugar goes in, which the aerosol cans decide for you.