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Disclaimer: This guide is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always confirm medicine, supplement and product decisions with your obstetrician, midwife, pharmacist or healthcare provider.

Food & Drink

Is Mozzarella Safe During Pregnancy?

Published 2026-07-21 | By SafeMama Editorial Team | Editorial policy

Is Mozzarella Safe During Pregnancy? pregnancy safety guide image

Short answer

Mozzarella can be pregnancy-compatible when it is made from pasteurized milk, stored cold, and eaten before the use-by date. Unpasteurized fresh mozzarella or poorly handled ready-to-eat cheese is the main concern.

Choose pasteurized and chilled

What is the safest way to think about this?

FDA food-safety guidance lists mozzarella among cheeses that can be safer when pasteurized, while CDC and FoodSafety.gov emphasize avoiding unpasteurized dairy and controlling refrigerated ready-to-eat foods because pregnancy raises listeria risk.

What is generally okay?

  • Check that mozzarella is made from pasteurized milk.
  • Keep fresh mozzarella refrigerated, use clean utensils, and eat it by the date on the label.
  • Choose cooked mozzarella on pizza, pasta, or baked dishes when storage or restaurant handling is unclear.

What should you avoid or double-check?

  • Avoid unpasteurized mozzarella or cheese from raw milk.
  • Avoid room-temperature buffet platters, shared antipasto trays, or opened tubs with unclear timing.
  • Avoid cheese that smells off, has unusual mold, leaking packaging, or is past date.

How SafeMama helps

SafeMama can flag mozzarella, fresh cheese, pasteurized and unpasteurized milk wording, refrigeration instructions, use-by dates, and restaurant food-safety questions.

Open the SafeMama app, scan the barcode or search the ingredient, then use the result as a starting point for a conversation with your healthcare provider.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Is fresh mozzarella safe while pregnant?

It can be if pasteurized and handled safely, but fresh refrigerated cheese should be kept cold and eaten by the date.

Is mozzarella on pizza safe?

Hot cooked mozzarella on freshly baked pizza is generally a lower-risk choice than cold cheese with unclear handling.

Does buffalo mozzarella matter?

The key checks are pasteurization, refrigeration, date, and handling, not only the animal milk source.

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