The label is the part only you can check
For most soft cheeses, whether the milk was pasteurised is what decides the answer, and that is written on the packet rather than anywhere online. NHS notes that most dairy sold in supermarkets is pasteurised and that you can check the packaging to be sure.
This tool tells you which question to ask about a given cheese. It cannot answer that question for the one in your fridge.
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Showing all 15 entries
Cheddar
Hard cheese
- United States
- CDC lists pasteurised hard cheese among safer choices.
- Worth knowing
- This is the surprising one. NHS includes unpasteurised hard cheese on the safe list, because hard cheese is low enough in moisture to be an unfriendly place for Listeria. Unpasteurised does not automatically mean avoid.
Parmesan
Hard cheese
- United States
- CDC lists pasteurised hard cheese among safer choices.
- Worth knowing
- Traditional parmigiano reggiano is made with unpasteurised milk and is still on the NHS hard-cheese safe list.
Gruyère
Hard cheese
- United States
- CDC lists pasteurised hard cheese among safer choices.
Edam and semi-hard cheeses
Hard cheese
- United States
- CDC lists pasteurised hard cheese among safer choices.
- Worth knowing
- For semi-hard, unlike hard, the NHS wording specifies pasteurised. Check the label rather than assuming it behaves like cheddar.
Feta
Soft, not mould-ripened
- United States
- CDC lists pasteurised feta among safer choices. Most supermarket feta in the US and UK is pasteurised, but the label is the thing to check.
- Worth knowing
- Feta gets avoided far more than the guidance requires. Both NHS and CDC list pasteurised feta as a safer choice; it is not in the brie category.
Mozzarella
Soft, not mould-ripened
- United States
- CDC lists pasteurised mozzarella among safer choices.
Halloumi
Soft, not mould-ripened
- United States
- Not named separately by CDC. It is a firm, non-mould-ripened cheese, and it is usually served cooked, which is the step CDC asks for with soft cheeses.
Cream cheese and cottage cheese
Soft, not mould-ripened
- United States
- CDC lists pasteurised cottage cheese and cream cheese among safer choices.
Ricotta and mascarpone
Soft, not mould-ripened
- United States
- Pasteurised mascarpone and burrata sit with the other soft cheeses. Ricotta needs more care: FDA includes soft ricotta and requesón in the queso fresco-type family that it advises higher-risk people to avoid unheated. Ricotta cooked through in a lasagne or a bake is a different situation from soft fresh ricotta eaten cold.
- Worth knowing
- Worth separating carefully. FDA names soft ricotta and requesón alongside queso fresco in its higher-risk advice, so a soft fresh ricotta is not automatically in the same position as the firm pasteurised ricotta sold in a sealed tub. If the label says requesón, use the queso fresco entry.
Brie and camembert
Mould-ripened, white rind
- United States
- CDC treats soft cheeses cautiously and lists them as safer only when heated until steaming hot.
- Worth knowing
- The one people get backwards. NHS puts brie and camembert on the be-careful list whether or not they are pasteurised, because the risk comes from mould-ripening and moisture rather than from the milk. Pasteurised brie is still in this category.
Goats' cheese with a white rind
Mould-ripened, white rind
- United States
- CDC lists soft cheeses as a riskier choice unless heated until steaming hot.
- Worth knowing
- NHS splits goats' cheese in two. Without a white coating it sits with the safe pasteurised soft cheeses; with a white rind it moves to the cook-it-first group.
Blue cheese
Soft blue-veined
- United States
- CDC lists soft cheeses as a riskier choice unless heated until steaming hot.
- Worth knowing
- Cooking is the step that changes this. NHS lists any cheese cooked until steaming hot as safe to eat, including soft and blue cheese, so blue cheese melted through a hot dish is a different situation from blue cheese on a board.
Queso fresco, queso blanco, requesón
Fresh, queso fresco-style
- United States
- This is where US guidance is firmer than UK guidance. CDC advises people at higher risk, including during pregnancy, to avoid queso fresco-type cheeses when they are UNHEATED, whether they were made with pasteurised or unpasteurised milk. FDA gives the same advice and names soft ricotta and requesón alongside it. The reason is that pasteurising the milk does not protect the cheese from being contaminated later during cheese-making, and this family has been linked to Listeria outbreaks repeatedly.
- Worth knowing
- The clearest case where the two countries differ, and the word doing the work is unheated. Pasteurised is not the deciding factor for this family in US guidance, but heating still is: cooked through until steaming moves it into the same position as any other thoroughly cooked cheese. Related names to watch for on a label include queso blando, panela, ranchero, cotija and cuajada en terrón.
Any soft cheese from unpasteurised milk
Made with unpasteurised milk
- United States
- CDC and FDA advise against soft cheese made from unpasteurised milk during pregnancy.
- Worth knowing
- Note the asymmetry with hard cheese. Unpasteurised hard cheese is on the NHS safe list; unpasteurised soft cheese is not. The moisture, not just the milk, is doing the work.
Any cheese cooked until steaming hot
Soft, not mould-ripened
- United States
- CDC lists queso fresco-type cheeses as safer when heated to 165°F or until steaming hot.
- Worth knowing
- This is the route that changes the answer for almost every cautioned cheese, and it is the one most often left out of a straight yes or no. Cooked through and steaming is the condition, not merely warm or melted on the surface.
This lookup carries what NHS, CDC and FDA say about each category. It cannot read the label on the cheese in front of you, and pasteurisation is the one thing you have to check there. If you already ate something and are worried, the cheese guide covers the Listeria window and when to call someone.
The two things most cheese advice gets backwards
Unpasteurised does not automatically mean avoid. NHS lists hard cheeses as safe to eat and explicitly includes unpasteurised ones, naming cheddar, gruyère and parmesan. Hard cheese holds little enough moisture to be an unfriendly place for Listeria. Traditional parmigiano reggiano is made with unpasteurised milk and is still on that safe list.
Pasteurised does not automatically mean fine. Brie and camembert stay under foods to be careful with whether or not they were pasteurised, because the risk comes from the mould-ripening and the moisture rather than from the milk. A pasteurised brie is still a brie.
Sorting cheese by how soft it feels produces the wrong answer in both of those cases, which is why this is a lookup rather than a rule.
Where the US and UK genuinely differ
On most cheeses the two agree. On one family they do not, and it is worth knowing which one you are reading.
CDC advises people at higher risk, including during pregnancy, to avoid queso fresco-type cheeses when they are unheated, whether they were made with pasteurised or unpasteurised milk. FDA gives the same advice and names soft ricotta and requesón alongside it. The reasoning is that pasteurising the milk does not protect the cheese from being contaminated later, during cheese-making, and this family has been linked to Listeria outbreaks repeatedly.
NHS does not name that family separately, so a UK page and a US page can both be accurate and still tell you different things. The country toggle above exists for that reason rather than for spelling.
Cooking is the route off almost every cautioned list
NHS lists any cheese cooked until steaming hot as safe to eat, and says that includes soft or blue cheese. That single line resolves more real situations than any list of names, and it is usually left out of a straight yes or no.
Blue cheese stirred through a sauce that is properly hot is not the same question as blue cheese on a cheeseboard. Baked camembert is not the same question as a slice of camembert. The condition is steaming hot throughout, not warm and not melted on the surface.
Keep the label with the meal
The details that matter later are the cheese, the brand, whether the label said pasteurised, and when you ate it. Those are the ones nobody can reconstruct from memory a month afterwards. Nouri keeps them with the rest of your day.
Common cheese questions
Can I eat feta while pregnant?
Pasteurised feta is on the NHS list of soft cheeses that are safe to eat, and CDC lists pasteurised feta among safer choices. Feta gets avoided far more often than the guidance requires, largely because it is soft and people group it with brie. It is not in the brie category, because it is not mould-ripened. The thing to check is the label, not the texture.
Is pasteurised brie safe during pregnancy?
NHS still puts brie and camembert under foods to be careful with, and says they must be thoroughly cooked, whether or not they were made with pasteurised milk. This is the one most people have backwards. The risk with these cheeses comes from mould-ripening and moisture rather than from the milk, so pasteurisation does not move them off that list. Cooked through until steaming is what changes it.
Is unpasteurised cheese always off the list?
No, and this surprises people. NHS lists hard cheeses as safe to eat and explicitly includes unpasteurised ones, naming cheddar, gruyère and parmesan. Hard cheese is low enough in moisture to be an unfriendly place for Listeria. Unpasteurised soft cheese is a different matter and does sit under foods to be careful with.
Why does the tool give me a different answer for the US and the UK?
Because the guidance genuinely differs on one family. CDC advises higher-risk people, including during pregnancy, to avoid queso fresco-type cheeses when unheated, whether or not they were made with pasteurised milk, since pasteurising the milk does not protect the cheese from contamination later during cheese-making. NHS does not name that family separately. Showing one merged answer would be wrong for half the people reading.
Does cooking cheese change the answer?
For most of the cautioned ones, yes, and it is the part most often left out of a straight yes or no. NHS lists any cheese cooked until steaming hot as safe to eat, and says that includes soft or blue cheese. Blue cheese melted through a hot dish is a different situation from blue cheese on a board. Steaming hot throughout is the condition, not warmed or melted on top.
Does this tool tell me whether a specific cheese is safe for me?
No. It carries what the named authorities say about each category, and it cannot read the label in front of you. Pasteurisation is the one thing you have to check there. It also does not account for your own medical history, so it does not replace your midwife or doctor.
Related Nouri pages
Sources checked on 1 September 2026
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy, including the named cheese lists
- CDC: Safer food choices for pregnant women
- CDC: Preventing Listeria infection, including queso fresco-type cheeses
- FDA: Listeria, food safety for moms-to-be
Covers 15 cheese categories. This page is educational. It describes what public-health sources say about each category, and it does not decide whether a specific cheese was safe for you.