Which foods should I avoid when I'm pregnant?

During pregnancy, your immune system is weakened. This means you are more likely to get sick from viral or bacterial infections.

For this reason, there are some foods you should avoid. This is because there is a greater chance they might make you sick or harm your baby.

It's also important to follow basic food safety principles, such as:

• storing and preparing food safely
• washing your hands and bench surfaces before, during and after cooking
• following cooking instructions
• not eating food that is past its use by date or where mould is visible

Dairy products

Don't eat soft cheeses, such as brie, camembert, blue cheese, ricotta and feta.

These cheeses may contain listeria, which is a type of bacteria. It can get into the cheese during the manufacturing process.

It's okay to eat these cheeses if they are cooked to at least 75°C and eaten straight away.

Don't eat soft-serve ice cream. It's stored at a temperature that allows listeria to grow. It's okay to eat hard-frozen ice-cream and gelato.

Eggs

Don't eat foods that contain raw or undercooked eggs, such as homemade mayonnaise, aioli, mousses or raw cake batters.

Don't use eggs with a dirty shell or eggs that were cracked and stored before use.

Fish and seafood

Fish is a healthy and nutritious part of your diet when you're pregnant.

It's important to limit your intake of large fish, such as:

• shark (flake)
• swordfish or broadbill
• marlin

Don't eat more than 100g and don't eat any other fish in that 2-week period.

These types of fish can contain high levels of mercury which can be harmful.

Orange roughy (also called deep sea perch) and catfish should be eaten no more than once a week — don't eat any other fish during that week.

Any other fish or seafood should be eaten no more than 2 to 3 times a week.

Don't eat raw or ready-to-eat fish or seafood. This includes raw oysters, sashimi and sushi, smoked salmon and pre-cooked prawns. These have a higher risk of listeria contamination.

The safest way to enjoy sushi is to make your own. But don't use any raw meat or raw seafood and eat it straight away. Avoid buying sushi.

Fruit and vegetables

Avoid pre-prepared or pre-packaged fruit or vegetable salads, including those from buffets and salad bars. They are at risk of listeria contamination.

Don't eat rockmelon or any type of raw or lightly cooked bean sprouts, as they may contain listeria or salmonella.

At home, wash and scrub off dirt or other contaminants from your fruits and vegetables.

Delicate foods, such as berries, salad greens and leaves are best avoided. They can't be washed well enough to make sure that they are clean.

Meat

Don't eat raw or rare meat. Undercooked meat may contain bacteria, such as listeria and salmonella. Take care with pork, sausages and minced meat, including burgers.

Avoid cold cured meats, such as salami, ham, chorizo and pepperoni.

Don't eat:

• cold meats from delicatessen counters and sandwich bars
• packaged, sliced, ready-to-eat meats such as, prepacked kebabs
• cold cooked, ready-to-eat chicken

Avoid all types of pâté. These may contain listeria. Hot take-away (barbeque) chicken is fine if you eat it straight away while hot.

Avoid liver or liver products, such as pâté as they contain a lot of vitamin A. This can be harmful to your baby.

Other foods

Sesame seeds may contain salmonella. It's best to avoid all sesame products, such as hummus, tahini and halva.

Water

If there is any concern about the safety of your water supply, use bottled water. This includes for brushing your teeth and making ice.

If bottled water is not available, you can boil the water:

• Bring water to a rolling boil.
• Allow to cool.
• Store in the fridge in a clean container with a lid.

Chlorine-based tablets can also be used to treat the water.

Iodine-based water treatment systems are not recommended for pregnant woman as the iodine can affect your baby's thyroid gland.

Dairy products

Only drink and eat dairy products made from pasteurised milk.

It's fine to eat hard cheeses such as cheddar, parmesan and edam. Hard cheeses are more acidic than soft cheeses, so bacteria are less likely to grow in them.

Other types of cheese are okay to eat are:

• cream cheese
• cheese spreads

These should be stored in the fridge and eaten within 2 days of opening.

Eggs

Make sure eggs are thoroughly cooked until the whites and yolks are solid. This lowers the risk of salmonella food poisoning.

It's okay to eat commercially-made products containing egg, such as mayonnaise. But make sure to store them correctly.

Fish and seafood

Fish contains protein and essential omega-3 fatty acids, so it's recommended in pregnancy.

Cook fish and seafood to at least 63°C and eat them straight away.

Fruit and vegetables

Try to include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Wash fruit, vegetables and herbs to remove all traces of soil and dirt. Toxoplasma can sometimes be found in soil.

Meat

Cook all meat and poultry to at least 71°C and eat while hot.

It's okay to eat processed meats if they are cooked to at least 75°C and eaten straight away. This includes salami, ham, chorizo and pepperoni.

Can I drink alcohol during pregnancy?

There is no safe level of alcohol during your pregnancy.

Drinking alcohol is not a safe option as alcohol can harm your unborn baby.

Fermented drinks can contain small amounts of alcohol due to the way that they are made. These drinks include:

• kombucha
• kvass
• kefir
• ginger beer

If you drink alcohol during pregnancy, your baby could develop fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Alcohol can also increase your risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth.

Can I have caffeine during pregnancy?

You don't need to cut out caffeine completely, but don't have more than 200mg a day.

Caffeine is naturally found in lots of foods, such as coffee, tea and cocoa. It's also added to some soft drinks and energy drinks.

To cut down on caffeine, try decaffeinated tea and coffee, fruit juice or mineral water.

Energy drinks are not recommended during pregnancy. They may contain high levels of caffeine or guarana (which also contains caffeine).

Caffeine can cross the placenta, meaning that anything you eat or drink will also affect your baby.

Can I eat leftovers during pregnancy?

Be cautious with leftover food, as it can become contaminated with bacteria.

Leftovers can be safely eaten if you put them straight in the fridge in a covered container. Don't keep them for more than a day, and reheat them to at least 60°C.

Can I eat foods that my baby might be allergic to?

It's fine to eat peanuts or food containing peanuts during pregnancy, unless you are allergic to them.

It's also fine to eat other foods considered to be highly allergenic. Cutting these foods out of your diet during pregnancy is not recommended. This has not been shown to help prevent allergies in your baby.

What illnesses and toxins can I get from foods?

Some foods may be contaminated with germs — these can cause infections and may be harmful for you or your baby. Other foods can contain substances that can harm your baby.

If you are worried about something you have eaten, call your maternity care provider or doctor.

Listeriosis

Listeriosis, caused by the bacteria listeria, is a rare infection. If your baby becomes infected, it can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or premature labour.

Foods that can be contaminated with listeria are:

• soft cheeses — brie, camembert, ricotta, feta and blue cheese
• sandwich meats — ham, salami, devon, chicken meat
• bean sprouts
• pre-prepared salads
• pâté

Mercury

High levels of mercury can affect your baby's developing nervous system.

Some types of fish have higher levels of mercury than others. This is usually higher in the larger predatory fish. The highest levels are found in:

• shark (flake)
• marlin
• broadbill
• swordfish
• orange roughy (deep sea perch)
• catfish

Salmonella

The bacteria salmonella can make you unwell with food poisoning. If you get it when you're pregnant it can cause miscarriage, but this is rare.

Foods that may be contaminated with salmonella are raw eggs — in milkshakes, mayonnaise and aioli, lightly poached eggs, mousse and custard.

Always cook meat, chicken and eggs.

Avoid all types of raw or lightly cooked bean sprouts — alfalfa sprouts, snow pea sprouts and mung bean sprouts

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is caused by the parasite toxoplasma. If you are infected during pregnancy, it can cause a congenital disorder (birth difference) in your baby.

Foods and drinks that could be contaminated with toxoplasma include:

• raw or undercooked meat
• raw fruits and vegetables that haven't been washed and peeled
• untreated water

Vitamin A

Too much vitamin A (also called retinol) can harm your baby. Liver and liver products contain a lot of vitamin A. Limit how much you eat during pregnancy.

Resources and support

Check out our handy guide to food and drink during pregnancy (infographic). You can print it off to stick on your fridge or keep in your bag.

Look at this quick reference table by the NSW Government Food Authority to work out what's safe to eat.

Visit Food Standards Australia New Zealand for more information about what foods to avoid during pregnancy.