Raw Milk During Pregnancy: How to Check Dairy Labels

Why raw milk is a risk during pregnancy, how to identify pasteurized milk and yogurt, and what PregNut's food data cannot tell you.

By Yuriy Stasyuk

Individuals who are pregnant should only consume pasteurized milk products to help prevent illnesses and deaths in newborns.

Chad Smelser, MD, medical director for New Mexico's Public Health Division
New Mexico Department of Health: Raw Milk and Pregnancy Read the original source

The short answer: Choose pasteurized milk and dairy products made from pasteurized milk during pregnancy. CDC lists raw (unpasteurized) milk and products made from it as riskier choices. Pasteurization kills harmful germs; a farm source, refrigeration, or a claim that milk is “natural” does not establish the same protection.

Why does pasteurization matter?

CDC explains that raw milk can carry germs including Listeria, E. coli, and Salmonella. Pregnancy increases the risk of serious illness from some foodborne germs. Pasteurized milk offers the nutritional benefits of milk without the added raw-milk risk; you do not need raw milk to obtain its nutrients.

How do I check milk or yogurt?

  1. Read the package: Look for a statement that the milk is pasteurized. For yogurt or another dairy product, check that it was made with pasteurized milk. FDA advises checking dairy labels. The same check applies to sour cream and ice cream.
  2. Ask when there is no package: At a farm stand, café, or market, ask whether the milk used was pasteurized. If you cannot confirm, choose another option.
  3. Keep it cold: FDA advises refrigerating milk and milk products at 40°F (4°C) or colder and following the product's date instructions. Pasteurization does not replace safe storage.

PregNut's fortified nonfat milk and plain yogurt pages compare nutrients in 100 g reference entries. Those entries do not verify the processing, brand, storage, or safety of a product you buy. Check its actual label before using a nutrient chart to choose it.

Does the same rule cover cheese?

Milk processing is only part of the cheese question. CDC gives additional advice for certain soft cheeses, including queso fresco-type cheese even when made with pasteurized milk. See our cheese and pregnancy guide for those distinctions.

If you drank raw milk and feel ill or have a specific exposure concern, contact your prenatal clinician. FDA describes symptoms and pregnancy concerns related to listeriosis; this page cannot assess an individual exposure.

Sources: CDC safer food choices for pregnancy, CDC raw milk overview, and FDA dairy and eggs guidance. This guide is educational and does not replace prenatal care.