It is a very common misconception that all cheese is bad in pregnancy this could not be further from the truth as cheese
is an important source of protein and calcium for pregnant women. It is only certain cheeses that are best avoided, this is
because some cheeses are more inclined to allow growth of bacteria, such as listera, which can harm your unborn child.
You
are advised not to eat:
- soft, mould-ripened cheeses, such as Brie or Camembert
- blue-veined cheeses, such as Danish Blue and Stilton
It is arguable that, thorough cooking should kill any listeria, so it should be safe to eat these cheeses in cooked food.
Before you eat it, though, make sure it has been properly cooked and is piping hot all the way through.
Listeria
Listeria infection in pregnant women is very rare in the UK, only affecting about one in 25,000 pregnancies
Symptoms
Symptoms usually develop several weeks after exposure to the bacteria, which can make it hard to pinpoint exactly which
food made you sick. Symptoms may include fever, chills, muscle aches and back pain.
Diagnosis
Doctors diagnose listeria infection by testing your blood. Antibiotics will treat the infection. Newborns can also be tested
and treated.
Provided you avoid foods with a high risk, you are very unlikely to be affected.
The Food Standards
Agency states that all hard cheeses are generally considered safe to eat. Listeria is present in these cheeses in extremely
low numbers and they are therefore not considered a risk during pregnancy.
Cheese
which is safe to eat during pregnancy
Hard cheeses:
Austrian smoked, Babybel, Caerphilly,
Cheddar, Cheshire, Derby, Double Gloucester, Edam, Emmental, English goat's cheddar, feta, Gouda, Gruyere, Lancashire, Manchego,
Orkney, paneer, Parmesan, Pecorino (hard), Provolone, Red Leicester.
Soft and processed cheeses:
Boursin,
cottage cheese, cream cheese, feta, goat's cheese without a white rind, mascarpone, mozzarella, Philadelphia, processed cheese
(such as cheese spread), Quark, ricotta.
Cheese to avoid during pregnancy
Mould-ripened soft cheeses:
Brie,
Blue Brie, Cambozola, Camembert, Chèvre (a goats cheese with a white rind), Pont L'Eveque, Taleggio, Vacherin-Fribourgeois
Blue-veined cheeses:
Bergader, Bleu d'Auvergne, Blue Wensleydale, Shropshire Blue, Danish Blue, Dolcelatte,
Gorgonzola, Roncal, Roquefort, Stilton, Wensleydale (blue).
Soft, unpasteurised cheese, including goat and sheep's
cheeses:
Chabichou, Pyramide, Torta del Cesar.
