Several categories of food pose real risks during pregnancy, from bacterial infections to developmental harm. The main concerns are mercury in certain fish, bacteria like Listeria and Salmonella in undercooked or unpasteurized foods, excess vitamin A from organ meats, and alcohol in any amount. Here’s what to skip and why.
High-Mercury Fish
Mercury accumulates in certain large, long-lived fish and can damage a developing baby’s nervous system. The FDA lists seven types of fish to avoid entirely during pregnancy:
- Shark
- Swordfish
- King mackerel
- Marlin
- Orange roughy
- Bigeye tuna
- Tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico
Fish itself is healthy during pregnancy. The FDA recommends eating 8 to 12 ounces per week of lower-mercury options like salmon, shrimp, tilapia, and canned light tuna. That’s about two to three servings, with one serving being 4 ounces. The goal is to get the omega-3 benefits without the mercury exposure.
Raw and Undercooked Meat
Undercooked beef, pork, lamb, and poultry can carry Toxoplasma, a parasite that crosses the placenta and can cause serious harm to a developing baby. Cook all meat to a safe internal temperature, use a meat thermometer, and avoid pink centers in ground meat. Steak tartare and rare burgers are off the table until after delivery.
Deli meats, hot dogs, and lunch meats are a separate concern. These ready-to-eat products can harbor Listeria, a bacterium that thrives even at refrigerator temperatures. Listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, or severe illness in a newborn. You don’t need to avoid deli meats entirely, but reheat them to 165°F (steaming hot) before eating. Cold deli sandwiches straight from the package carry risk.
Soft Cheeses and Unpasteurized Dairy
Soft cheeses made from raw (unpasteurized) milk are a well-documented source of Listeria. The CDC specifically flags brie, camembert, blue-veined cheese, and queso fresco as risky options. The key is the milk source: if a soft cheese is made with pasteurized milk, the risk drops significantly.
One important exception: queso fresco-style cheeses, including queso blanco and requesón, carry higher risk regardless of whether they’re made with pasteurized or unpasteurized milk. The CDC recommends avoiding these fresh, soft varieties entirely unless you heat them to 165°F. Always check labels for the word “pasteurized,” and when in doubt at a restaurant or farmers market, skip it.
Raw Eggs and Foods That Contain Them
Raw or undercooked eggs can carry Salmonella, which causes severe food poisoning that’s more dangerous during pregnancy because your immune system is suppressed. The obvious items are runny eggs and raw cookie dough, but several prepared foods also use raw eggs:
- Homemade Caesar salad dressing
- Homemade mayonnaise
- Homemade ice cream
- Mousse and some custards
- Hollandaise sauce
Store-bought versions of these products typically use pasteurized eggs and are safe. If you’re making them at home, the FDA recommends using pasteurized shell eggs or pasteurized egg products.
Raw Sprouts
Raw alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung bean sprouts are one of the more surprising items on the avoid list. Bacteria can enter the sprout seeds through tiny cracks in the shell before they even begin growing. Once inside, these bacteria multiply rapidly during the warm, humid sprouting process and are nearly impossible to wash out. Cooking sprouts thoroughly makes them safe. Raw sprouts on a sandwich or salad do not.
Unwashed Fruits and Vegetables
Soil on the surface of produce can contain Toxoplasma oocysts, the same parasite found in undercooked meat. The CDC identifies unwashed fruits and vegetables as one of three primary routes of Toxoplasma transmission to humans, alongside raw meat and cat litter. The fix is straightforward: peel or thoroughly wash all produce before eating, and clean cutting boards and utensils after they’ve touched raw vegetables. Pre-washed bagged salads are generally fine, but a quick rinse adds an extra layer of safety.
Liver and Organ Meats
Liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods available, which is exactly why it’s a problem during pregnancy. It contains extremely high levels of preformed vitamin A (retinol), and doses above 10,000 IU per day have been linked to birth defects affecting the face, skull, and nervous system. A single 3-ounce serving of beef liver contains roughly 26,000 IU, far exceeding that threshold. Occasional small portions may not cause harm, but regular consumption or combining liver with vitamin A supplements creates real risk. Liver pâté falls into the same category.
This concern applies specifically to preformed vitamin A found in animal products and supplements, not to beta-carotene from carrots, sweet potatoes, and other plant foods. Your body converts beta-carotene to vitamin A only as needed, so plant sources don’t carry the same risk.
Caffeine
You don’t need to eliminate caffeine entirely, but the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends staying under 200 mg per day. That’s roughly two standard cups of brewed coffee. Above that threshold, caffeine has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes including increased risk of miscarriage and low birth weight.
Keep in mind that caffeine adds up from multiple sources: coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, and energy drinks. A large coffeehouse drink can easily contain 300 to 400 mg on its own, putting you over the limit in a single cup.
Alcohol
There is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy. The CDC is clear on this point: no safe amount, no safe type, no safe trimester. Alcohol can cause problems for a developing baby throughout pregnancy, including before you know you’re pregnant. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, which include physical, behavioral, and learning disabilities, are entirely caused by prenatal alcohol exposure and entirely preventable by avoiding it.
Unpasteurized Juices and Ciders
Fresh-squeezed juices sold at farmers markets, juice bars, and roadside stands are often unpasteurized. Without pasteurization, harmful bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella can survive in the juice. Commercially bottled juices sold in stores are required to be pasteurized or treated, so check the label. Fresh-pressed juices from refrigerated cases at grocery stores may still be unpasteurized, and the label will say so.
Certain Herbal Teas
Herbal teas feel harmless, but several common varieties have been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes. German chamomile, when consumed regularly, has been associated with a higher incidence of preterm labor and miscarriage. Fennel tea has shown toxic effects on fetal cells in laboratory studies. Raspberry leaf tea, one of the most popular “pregnancy teas,” is actually classified as “use with caution” and has caused blood sugar drops in at least one documented case. Peppermint tea in excess is also contraindicated in early pregnancy due to its potential to stimulate menstruation.
Herbal tinctures, which are alcohol-based extracts, should be avoided entirely because of their concentrated compounds and alcohol content. If you want to drink herbal tea during pregnancy, ginger tea in moderate amounts (under 1,000 mg per day for nausea) has the most evidence supporting limited use. For everything else, the safety data is thin enough that caution makes sense.