The short answer
Some treatments lower white blood cells (neutropenia), making infections — including from food — more likely and more serious. Safe food handling and, at times, avoiding higher-risk foods like raw or undercooked items and unpasteurized products can lower the risk. Ask your team whether you need extra food precautions right now.
Some treatments lower white blood cells (neutropenia), raising infection risk.
Food safety — clean, separate, cook, chill — matters more when counts are low.
At higher-risk times, teams often advise avoiding raw or undercooked meat, eggs, seafood, and unpasteurized foods.
There is no single strict 'neutropenic diet' proven for everyone; advice varies by center and situation.
Choose how you want to understand this
The full explanation.
Why food safety matters when counts are low
Some cancer treatments lower the number of white blood cells that fight infection — a state called neutropenia. When counts are low, the body has a harder time fighting germs, so infections, including food-borne illness (food poisoning), can be more likely and more serious. Extra care with what you eat and how it is prepared is one way to lower that risk during higher-risk periods of treatment.
The basics: clean, separate, cook, chill
The core food-safety steps help everyone and matter more now: Clean — wash hands, produce, and surfaces well. Separate — keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood away from other foods. Cook — cook foods thoroughly, using a thermometer for meats where you can. Chill — refrigerate leftovers promptly and keep cold foods cold. Checking use-by dates and avoiding cross-contamination go a long way.
Foods teams often suggest limiting
During higher-risk periods, care teams commonly advise avoiding raw or undercooked meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood (such as sushi or soft-cooked eggs), unpasteurized milk, juice, and soft cheeses, and raw sprouts, and washing raw fruits and vegetables well. This is sometimes called a low-microbial or 'neutropenic' diet. Research has not shown one strict diet fits everyone, and recommendations differ between cancer centers, so your team's guidance is what counts.
Ask your team what fits you now
Whether you need extra food precautions — and how strict — depends on your treatment, your blood counts, and your situation, and it can change over time. Ask your team what they advise for you right now, and tell them about any signs of infection such as fever. Everyone's situation is different. This is general information, not advice for you personally — your care team, and an oncology dietitian if one is available, can tailor it to your treatment.
Words to know
Tap any term to see what it means.
Common questions
▸What is neutropenia?
It is a low level of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell that fights infection. Some cancer treatments cause it, which can make infections more likely and more serious.
▸Is there a strict 'neutropenic diet' I must follow?
Research has not shown one strict diet fits everyone, and advice differs between centers. Good food safety is always sensible; ask your team what extra precautions you need now.
▸Which foods are higher risk?
Raw or undercooked meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood; unpasteurized milk, juice, and soft cheeses; and raw sprouts. Teams often suggest avoiding these when counts are low.
▸What are the food-safety basics?
Clean, separate, cook, and chill: wash hands and produce, keep raw meats apart, cook thoroughly, and refrigerate promptly.
Questions to ask your doctor
Being prepared helps you get the most out of your appointments. Save or print these questions.
Tap a question to save it to your list (kept on this device).
Test your knowledge
0 of 3 answered
This quiz checks understanding of educational content only. It is not medical advice. Open this quiz on its own page.
How this page was created
Cancer Explained uses AI to organize and translate information from the authoritative sources cited on each page. Automated checks review claims, citations, clarity, duplication, and potential safety concerns before publication. Our content is not currently reviewed by physicians unless a specific qualified reviewer is named on the page. Cancer Explained provides general education and should not replace advice from your healthcare team.
Editorial status: Editorial review complete — This page completed Cancer Explained's editorial checks (sources, safety, plain language, duplication). It has not been reviewed by a physician or other healthcare professional.
Human medical review: not completed. At this time, most Cancer Explained content has not been reviewed by a physician or other healthcare professional. Pages with documented human medical review identify the reviewer, credentials, and review date directly.
Read more about our editorial process, our use of AI, and our corrections policy.
Spotted a problem? Report an error — a factual mistake, broken or outdated source, confusing wording, or anything that seems unsafe. Please do not include names, medical record numbers, dates of birth, addresses, or other identifying medical information in your report.
After using this page, do you understand what to do next?
Anonymous — we only record the answer, never who gave it.