Can I Eat Ricotta While Pregnant?

Short answer

Can I eat ricotta while pregnant? In UK and US-style guidance, ricotta can fit pregnancy food safety when it is made with pasteurized milk, kept refrigerated, eaten before the use-by date, and handled cleanly. If you are following Australian-style guidance, choose ricotta only when it has been cooked to at least 75 C and eaten soon after.

Check pasteurization, storage and country guidance

What is the safest way to think about this?

NHS food guidance lists pasteurized soft cheeses including ricotta among foods pregnant people can eat. CDC and FDA guidance for pregnant people focuses on avoiding unpasteurized dairy and checking soft-cheese labels. Canada lists raw or unpasteurized dairy as foods to avoid and names pasteurized dairy plus cooked dairy dishes as safer choices. Australia is more conservative: NSW Food Authority says soft and semi-soft cheeses, including ricotta, should not be eaten unless thoroughly cooked to at least 75 C and eaten soon afterwards. Current outbreak history matters too: FDA and CDC investigated a 2026 Listeria outbreak linked to requeson, a soft cheese similar to ricotta. That difference matters for searchers in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.

Working through a longer grocery list? The Pregnancy Food Safety Hub gathers all 43 SafeMama food and drink guides, grouped by pasteurization, cooking temperature and mercury questions.

What is generally okay?

Choose ricotta made with pasteurized milk and keep it cold until you eat it.
Use clean utensils, avoid double-dipping or shared deli utensils, and follow the package date and opening instructions.
For lasagna, ravioli, baked ziti, stuffed shells or pizza, eat the ricotta dish hot after thorough cooking.
If you are in Australia or following Australian food-safety advice, treat ricotta as a soft cheese to eat only after cooking to at least 75 C and eating soon afterwards.

What should you avoid or double-check?

Avoid raw-milk, unpasteurized, market-made or homemade ricotta unless you can confirm pasteurized milk and safe handling.
Avoid ricotta from open deli containers, room-temperature buffet dishes or tubs that have been left out.
Avoid eating ricotta if the package is swollen, smells off, is moldy, has leaked, or is past its use-by date.
Avoid recalled soft cheese or cheese linked to a listeria investigation, even if it looks normal.
Avoid relying on one country's cheese list when your clinician, midwife or local food-safety agency gives stricter advice.

How SafeMama helps

SafeMama can help users check ricotta labels for pasteurized milk, soft cheese terms, storage instructions, use-by dates, deli handling, lasagna-style cooked dishes and listeria-related cautions.

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

Can I eat ricotta cheese while pregnant?

Usually yes in UK-style guidance when it is made with pasteurized milk, kept refrigerated, eaten before the date on the package, and handled with clean utensils. Australian guidance is stricter and recommends cooking ricotta to at least 75 C.

Is ricotta pasteurized?

Many supermarket tubs are made with pasteurized milk, but you still need to check the label. Restaurant, deli, farmers market and homemade ricotta can be harder to verify.

Can I have ricotta cheese while pregnant in Australia?

Australian guidance treats ricotta as a soft cheese to avoid unless it is cooked to at least 75 C and eaten soon afterwards. Follow your local guidance if it is stricter than a US or UK answer.

Is cooked ricotta safer during pregnancy?

Cooking ricotta until hot can reduce bacterial risk, especially when handling, storage or local guidance is stricter.

Can I eat ricotta in lasagna while pregnant?

Usually yes when the ricotta was made with pasteurized milk and the lasagna was cooked thoroughly, served hot, and not left sitting at room temperature.

Is requeson the same as ricotta?

Requeson is a soft cheese similar to ricotta. FDA and CDC investigated a 2026 Listeria outbreak linked to requeson, so recalled or outbreak-linked soft cheese should be avoided in pregnancy.

Is homemade ricotta safe?

Only if the milk is pasteurized and the cheese is made, cooled, stored, and eaten safely. When in doubt, choose a commercial pasteurized option or eat it in a freshly cooked hot dish.

What if I accidentally ate ricotta while pregnant?

Do not panic. Check whether it was pasteurized, refrigerated, fresh and cooked. Call your clinician if you develop fever, flu-like symptoms, vomiting, diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, or if the ricotta was recalled or clearly unsafe.

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