Is Ice Cream Safe During Pregnancy? (Updated 2026 Guide)
Updated April 13, 2026
The Answer
Yes, with caution. Most commercially made ice cream is safe during pregnancy because it uses pasteurized milk and eggs. However, avoid soft serve from machines that may not be properly cleaned and homemade ice cream made with raw eggs.
Ice cream falls under the dairy category, which requires caution during pregnancy due to the risk of Listeria from unpasteurized products. The good news is that most store bought ice cream brands use pasteurized ingredients, making them safe to enjoy. The main concerns are soft serve machines that can harbor bacteria and certain additives like high fructose corn syrup and artificial dyes found in some products.
Pregnancy Safe is 100% independent and research driven. No companies pay to promote or sponsor products.
✓ What's Safe
- • Store bought ice cream from major brands like Häagen Dazs, Tillamook, or Ben & Jerry's made with pasteurized milk
- • Check labels confirm 'pasteurized milk' or 'pasteurized eggs' in ingredients
- • Pre packaged ice cream bars and novelties from sealed containers
- • Simple ingredient lists without artificial dyes (Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5)
- • Enjoy in moderation—1/2 cup serving a few times per week is reasonable
- • Frozen yogurt and sorbet as lower sugar alternatives when craving something cold
✗ What to Avoid
- • Soft serve ice cream from machines at restaurants or fast food bacteria can grow if machines aren't cleaned properly
- • Homemade ice cream made with raw or undercooked eggs
- • Ice cream from farmers markets or small vendors without clear pasteurization labeling
- • Flavors containing alcohol or coffee liqueur
- • Products with high fructose corn syrup if managing gestational diabetes risk
- • Ice cream with artificial dyes (Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5) when possible
Most Common Ingredients in Ice Cream Products
We analyzed 4,138 ice cream products. Here are the most common ingredients, ranked by how often they appear:
Ingredients to Watch Out For in Ice Cream
These are the most common flagged ingredients across 4,138 ice cream products we analyzed.
high fructose corn syrup
CAUTION
High fructose corn syrup is a sweetener derived from corn starch and widely used in processed foods and beverages. Has been associated with placental insufficiency, fetal growth restriction, and metabolic programming of offspring in animal studies, and with gestational diabetes and preeclampsia in epidemiological studies of humans.
Found in 731 of 4,138 products (18%)
polysorbate 80
CAUTION
Polysorbate 80 is an emulsifier used in foods and medications. May alter offspring gut microbiota and immune function based on animal studies.
Found in 577 of 4,138 products (14%)
red 40
CAUTION
Red 40 is a synthetic red food coloring. May affect neurobehavioral development based on animal studies at high doses.
Found in 270 of 4,138 products (7%)
blue 1
CAUTION
Blue 1 is a synthetic blue food coloring. Has limited human pregnancy data with possible neurobehavioral effects in animal studies.
Found in 230 of 4,138 products (6%)
yellow 5
CAUTION
Yellow 5 is a synthetic yellow food coloring. Has shown embryotoxic effects in recent animal studies at high doses.
Found in 119 of 4,138 products (3%)
sodium benzoate
CAUTION
Sodium benzoate is a food preservative in beverages and processed foods. Has shown birth defects in animal studies at high doses and may form benzene when combined with vitamin C.
Found in 73 of 4,138 products (2%)
fructose
CAUTION
Fructose is a simple sugar found naturally in fruits and added to many processed foods and beverages as high fructose corn syrup. May program offspring for metabolic dysfunction when consumed in excess during pregnancy, with animal studies showing effects on insulin resistance, blood pressure, and neurodevelopment.
Found in 51 of 4,138 products (1%)
alcohol
CAUTION
Alcohol is an intoxicating substance in beverages. Causes fetal alcohol spectrum disorder with lifelong physical and cognitive problems. No safe level exists.
Found in 39 of 4,138 products (1%)
Ice Cream Products We've Analyzed
We graded 4,138 ice cream products for pregnancy safety. 1,221 received an A grade.
Pregnancy Safe Ice Cream Products
We found 1,221 pregnancy safe options. Here are some top picks.
| Grade | Product | Brand |
|---|---|---|
| A | Ice Cream For Bears Frozen Mint & Chocolate Chip | Ice Cream For Bears |
| A | Helados Mexico Strawberry Ice Cream Bar - 6Ct | Helados Mexico |
| A | Oregon Strawberry Sweet Strawberry Ice Cream With Ripe Oregon Strawberry Pieces, Oregon Strawberry | Tillamook |
| A | Ice Cream | — |
| A | Breyers Vanilla Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream - 48Oz | Breyers Ice Cream |
Your Questions Answered
Can pregnant women eat ice cream?
Yes, pregnant women can safely eat most ice cream. The key is choosing commercially produced ice cream made with pasteurized milk and eggs, which eliminates the risk of harmful bacteria like Listeria. Major brands sold in grocery stores are safe because they're required to use pasteurized dairy. Enjoy it in moderation as part of a balanced diet, and you'll also get some calcium and protein benefits.
What are the risks of ice cream during pregnancy?
The main risk is Listeria contamination, which can occur in unpasteurized dairy products or from poorly maintained soft serve machines. Listeria infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, or serious illness in newborns. Additionally, ice cream is high in sugar and calories, so excessive consumption may contribute to unhealthy weight gain or gestational diabetes. Some ice creams also contain artificial additives that are best limited during pregnancy.
Can I eat ice cream during pregnancy?
Absolutely ice cream made from pasteurized milk and eggs is safe during pregnancy. Most commercially sold ice cream meets this standard. Be cautious with soft serve from machines at restaurants or fast food places, as these can harbor bacteria if not cleaned regularly. Also avoid homemade ice cream recipes that use raw eggs. When in doubt, stick to pre packaged ice cream from the freezer section of your grocery store.
Which food to avoid when pregnant?
During pregnancy, avoid raw or unpasteurized dairy products, undercooked meat and eggs, raw fish and sushi, deli meats unless heated, and high mercury fish like shark and swordfish. For ice cream specifically, skip soft serve from machines and homemade versions with raw eggs. Also limit caffeine to 200mg daily and avoid alcohol entirely. When choosing packaged foods, look for options without artificial dyes and excessive added sugars.
Is soft serve ice cream safe during pregnancy?
Soft serve ice cream carries more risk than pre packaged ice cream during pregnancy. The machines that dispense soft serve can harbor Listeria bacteria if not cleaned and maintained properly. While many establishments follow strict cleaning protocols, there's no way to verify this as a customer. To be safe, opt for pre packaged ice cream from the grocery store instead, or only get soft serve from places you trust to maintain high hygiene standards.
Can I eat McDonald's ice cream while pregnant?
McDonald's McFlurries and soft serve come from machines that should be regularly cleaned, but the risk isn't zero. Many pregnant women choose to avoid fast food soft serve as a precaution since you can't verify the machine's cleanliness. If you're craving ice cream, pre packaged options from the grocery store are the safest choice. If you do eat fast food ice cream occasionally, the risk is relatively low, but it's a personal decision based on your comfort level.
How Do We Score Products for Pregnancy Safety?
We analyze each product's ingredients and category to flag known risks and provide cautionary notices for general category safety concerns.
A - Safe
Excellent choice! All ingredients are considered safe during pregnancy.
What to do: Use with confidence.
B - Likely Safe
Pretty much safe with very minimal risk. Some ingredients may have limited pregnancy studies, but no significant safety concerns have been identified.
What to do: Use with confidence.
C - Limit
Contains ingredients with some pregnancy considerations. Research shows these ingredients may have limited safety data, potential for minor hormonal effects, or require caution based on animal studies.
What to do: Use sparingly and consider safer alternatives when available.
D - Caution
Similar to C grade but contains multiple cautionary ingredients. The combination increases overall concern.
What to do: Try to avoid if that makes you feel better. If you've already used it, no need to panic.
F - Avoid
Contains ingredients with established risks during pregnancy. Research shows these can cause birth defects, developmental harm, or serious maternal complications.
What to do: Do not use during pregnancy. If you've already used it, don't worry - contact your OBGYN if concerned.
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References
- https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/rawmilk/index.html
- https://thrivemarket.com/blog/heres a-convincing reason to avoid high fructose corn syrup during pregnancy
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2023.1203063/full
- https://www.nature.com/articles/srep25091
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955286322000225
- https://www.orlandohealth.com/content hub/why you should not consume high fructose corn syrup if you are pregnant/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7441786/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35123000/
- https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/32/12/2314/25900/Dietary Risk Factors for Gestational Diabetes
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916522034220
- https://medicine.washu.edu/news/high fructose diet pregnancy may harm placenta restrict fetal growth/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6685737/
- https://www.cdc.gov/maternal infant health/pregnancy diabetes/index.html
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5491864/
- https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1113/JP274066
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4398903/
- https://www.obgproject.com/2023/01/02/acog releases updated guidance gestational diabetes/
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.848983/full
- https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.07.02.600389v1.full text
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12620731/
