Can Pregnant Women Eat Blue Cheese? Is It Safe? | Pregnancy Food Checker (2024)

FAQs

Can Pregnant Women Eat Blue Cheese? Is It Safe? | Pregnancy Food Checker? ›

Soft blue cheeses are only safe to eat in pregnancy if they've been cooked. It's advised pregnant women avoid some soft cheeses because they are less acidic than hard cheeses and contain more moisture, which means they can be an ideal environment for harmful bacteria, such as listeria, to grow in.

If you decide to buy it, select a product that has been pasteurized. As it's often made with unpasteurized milk, blue cheese increases your risk of Listeria poisoning, which is extremely dangerous for unborn babies. If you're pregnant, it's best to avoid blue cheese products or only buy ones that use pasteurized milk.

In most cases, the milk used to make blue cheese is pasteurized. Cheesemakers utilize the Penicillium mould cultures to enhance the flavour and texture of the cheese and to give it its spotty appearance.

Blue cheese may carry Listeria

Instead, because most blue cheese is made with unpasteurized milk, it carries a higher risk of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. This bacterium can cause listeriosis, a foodborne illness that presents much like the flu or stomach bug.

Listeriosis—Blue Cheese's Danger Factor

Consuming unpasteurized blue cheese can lead to listeriosis, a dangerous type of food poisoning that occurs from consuming food with listeria. Listeriosis is pretty rare among the general population, but pregnant women are 20 times more likely to catch this foodborne illness.

There's a small chance that unpasteurised or soft ripened dairy products may contain Listeria bacteria. This can cause an infection called listeriosis. Listeriosis can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth, or make your newborn baby very unwell.

Safety. If you notice any signs of spoilage on your blue cheese, you should discard it immediately. In particular, fuzzy white, green, pink, or grey spots growing on the surface of blue cheese may indicate that it has gone bad. Additionally, cheese that develops a strong odor similar to ammonia may be spoiled.

Nearly all cheeses made in the United States are pasteurized by default, but you may run into unpasteurized cheese at a farmer's market or if you buy imported cheese at the grocery store. Avoid unpasteurized soft cheese during pregnancy because it may contain listeria, a type of bacteria that can lead to listeriosis.

Don't eat mould-ripened soft cheese, such as brie, camembert and chevre (a type of goat's cheese) and others with a similar rind. You should also avoid ricotta, feta, mozzarella, bocconcini and blue-veined cheeses. These may contain listeria, which can get in during the manufacturing process.

What is this? The dressings, mayo, and cheeses on Panera's menu are all pasteurized for safety. Panera chops and preps their veggie toppings on-site, making these safe as well.

How common is Listeria in pregnancy? ›

Pregnant women are about 10 times more likely to get listeriosis than other healthy adults. An estimated 1/6 of all Listeria cases occur in pregnant women.

Past listeriosis outbreaks in the U.S. have been linked to raw, unpasteurized milks and cheeses, ice cream, raw or processed vegetables, raw or processed fruits, raw or undercooked poultry, sausages, hot dogs, deli meats, and raw or smoked fish and other seafood.

Pasteurized blue cheeses include Stilton, many commercially-produced blue (or bleu) cheese crumbles, and many types of hard, crumbly cheese like Danish Blue. Blue cheeses made from raw (unpasteurized) milk include Roquefort and some versions of Gorgonzola.

Nutritionist Dr Rana Conway, author of What to Eat When You're Pregnant, says: "Feta cheese makes a good substitute for Camembert or Danish blue and its strong flavour means it's perfect for salads or wraps.”

Deli meats, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages. Deli meats, cold cuts, hot dogs, and fermented or dry sausages can be contaminated with Listeria when they are made or prepared at facilities where Listeria persists.

Cheese can be part of a healthy diet, but it's still high in salt and saturated fat, so eat it in moderation. People who are prone to headaches or migraine may want to limit or avoid blue cheese. Aged cheeses, like blue, are a common headache trigger.

Blue cheese is a fermented cheese renowned for its strong flavor and blue marbled coloring. Cheesemakers create blue cheese using Penicillium roqueforti mold cultures. These cultures are nontoxic and safe for human consumption.

Pineapple is safe to eat while pregnant. But you may want to limit how much of it you eat. The most common species of pineapple in the US, the Smooth Cayenne, has a high acid content. Heartburn and acid reflux are common when pregnant, and acidic foods can make these problems worse.

Introduction. Blue, or blue-veined cheeses, are characterized by growth of the mold, Penicillium roqueforti, providing the typical appearance and flavor.

How long does it take to digest blue cheese? ›

Is blue cheese an antibiotic? A. Although blue cheese is prepared using penicillium and contains various essential minerals and nutrients, it does not exhibit antibiotic properties.

Every label on any cheese you buy at the store should clearly indicate whether it's pasteurized or unpasteurized.

Pasteurized dairy products, including sour cream, are perfectly safe to consume during pregnancy. Be sure to look for the word “pasteurized” on the label when choosing a product, and always keep it at a safe temperature in the refrigerator.

Pizzas are safe to eat in pregnancy, as long they are cooked thoroughly and are piping hot. Mozzarella is perfectly safe but be cautious about pizzas topped with soft, mould-ripened cheeses such as brie and camembert, and soft blue-veined cheeses, such as Danish blue.

Don't eat these foods during pregnancy. They can be really harmful to you and your baby. Raw or undercooked meat, including beef, poultry and pork. This includes hotdogs and deli meat (like ham or bologna).

soft, unpasteurized cheeses (often advertised as "fresh") such as some feta, goat, Brie, Camembert, and blue-veined cheeses, and Mexican queso fresco.

Blue Cheese Crumbles: Blue Cheese (Pasteurized Milk, Salt, Cheese Cultures, Enzymes, Penicillium Roqueforti), Powdered Cellulose Added to Prevent Caking, Natamycin (A Natural Mold Inhibitor). CONTAINS: MILK.

Caesar salad, if freshly made, is safe for pregnant women to eat. Caesar Salad Dressing is only safe in pregnancy if the dressing is pasteurized because it usually contains raw egg.

Fully cooked chicken that you've roasted yourself, left to cool, plus pasteurized mayo, will mean the salad is safe for you to eat throughout your pregnancy, especially if you're craving a chicken salad, on its own or as a chicken salad sandwich.

Is Subway OK when pregnant? ›

Subway sandwiches are safe for pregnant women to eat if they're heated until hot, rather than just warm. This means either microwaved for a few seconds or having the sandwich toasted – sometimes a little more than normal.

During pregnancy, Listeria infection occurs more frequently in the third trimester (66%), and in most cases, the maternal sickness is usually mild with non-specific symptoms (fever, flu-like syndrome, plus abdominal and back pain) or even asymptomatic.

Certain uterine conditions or weak cervical tissues (incompetent cervix) might increase the risk of miscarriage. Smoking, alcohol and illicit drugs. Women who smoke during pregnancy have a greater risk of miscarriage than do nonsmokers. Heavy alcohol use and illicit drug use also increase the risk of miscarriage.

A McDonald's cheeseburger does not contain ingredients that are considered unsafe to eat during pregnancy. McDonald's uses processed cheese in cheeseburgers and the meat is thoroughly grilled at a high temperature.

While it is good to be cautious about your diet, there are a number of types of seafood that are safe to eat, including shrimp. Shrimp contain low levels of mercury; they also are low in fat content and high in protein, making them a healthy choice for pregnant mothers.

You can eat cheesecake safely during pregnancy. Just be sure to check the label when buying or when out to eat to ensure your cake is made with pasteurized ingredients. When making cheesecake at home, choose pasteurized ingredients and cook fully if you're using eggs.

Thorough cooking of food kills Listeria bacteria. Ensure food is cooked thoroughly. If you plan to eat previously cooked and refrigerated leftovers, only keep them in the refrigerator for a day and reheat them thoroughly to steaming hot. This will kill Listeria bacteria.

It's most commonly caused by eating improperly processed deli meats and unpasteurized milk products. Healthy people rarely become ill from listeria infection, but the disease can be fatal to unborn babies, newborns and people with weakened immune systems.

The six states that have been affected by the Listeria outbreak are California, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New York. Of these states, New York had had the highest number of reported sick people.

Some dairy

You should avoid eating: unpasteurised semi-hard and soft cheeses (unless cooked until steaming hot) all mould-ripened soft cheeses with a white coating on the outside, such as brie, camembert and chèvre (unless cooked until steaming hot)

What cheeses should you avoid when pregnant? ›

Don't eat mould-ripened soft cheese, such as brie, camembert and chevre (a type of goat's cheese) and others with a similar rind. You should also avoid ricotta, feta, mozzarella, bocconcini and blue-veined cheeses. These may contain listeria, which can get in during the manufacturing process.

Is The Laughing Cow suitable for pregnant women? The Laughing Cow is a pasteurised product, therefore it is suitable for consumption during pregnancy, as part of a balanced diet.

Soft blue cheeses are only safe to eat in pregnancy if they've been cooked. It's advised pregnant women avoid some soft cheeses because they are less acidic than hard cheeses and contain more moisture, which means they can be an ideal environment for harmful bacteria, such as listeria, to grow in.

So what does this mean for us cheese eaters? In the U.S., nearly all fresh (unaged, rindless) cheese—like mozzarella, fresh goat cheese/chèvre, ricotta, or feta—is pasteurized. It also means that 99 percent of soft, creamy, spreadable cheeses are pasteurized. Think Laughing Cow, Brie, Camembert, or Taleggio.

soft, unpasteurized cheeses (often advertised as "fresh") such as some feta, goat, Brie, Camembert, and blue-veined cheeses, and Mexican queso fresco.

Pizzas are safe to eat in pregnancy, as long they are cooked thoroughly and are piping hot. Mozzarella is perfectly safe but be cautious about pizzas topped with soft, mould-ripened cheeses such as brie and camembert, and soft blue-veined cheeses, such as Danish blue.

Pasteurized blue cheeses include Stilton, many commercially-produced blue (or bleu) cheese crumbles, and many types of hard, crumbly cheese like Danish Blue. Blue cheeses made from raw (unpasteurized) milk include Roquefort and some versions of Gorgonzola.

Nutritionist Dr Rana Conway, author of What to Eat When You're Pregnant, says: "Feta cheese makes a good substitute for Camembert or Danish blue and its strong flavour means it's perfect for salads or wraps.”

vegetable oil (soybean oil and/or canola oil), sour cream dressing (cultured cream, skim milk, and gelatin), blue cheese (cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes, penicillium roqueforti, powdered cellulose [to prevent caking]), cultured buttermilk, water, egg yolks, less than 2% of: apple cider vinegar, distilled ...

Can Pregnant Women Eat At Subway? Subway sandwiches are safe for pregnant women to eat if they're heated until hot, rather than just warm. This means either microwaved for a few seconds or having the sandwich toasted – sometimes a little more than normal.