...to think that if one of your guests is pregnant, and a big feature of dinner is a huge, delicious-looking cheese plate...

[LoveInAColdClimate]

...at least one of those cheeses should be pasteurised? Had dinner with PIL (who are lovely and who I get on with really well, so this is not a general sniping thread) last night, which featured, as pudding, a big "proper cheese shop" cheese board, but no cheese I could eat. They know what I can have and what I can't, so this can't have been a mistake. I have been v spoilt at other friends' and family who have sought out yummy cheese I'm able to eat, so I know I'm v lucky. But when pregnant or no-cows'-milk friends come to ours for supper, I love sourcing cheese they can eat if I'm doing cheese as part of the meal. It just seemed a bit weird to make half the meal something I couldn't have. Am I being precious or is this odd, especially as the cheese had been specially bought and so one type I could eat could have been chucked in? Frankly a bit of cheddar would have been fine, I just felt really left out.

The above wasn't a nosy attempt to find out if it had had any long term effects, BTW, do hope it didn't come across like that.

YABU

working9while5, if I'd read your statement while I was pregnant, I might well have forgone that cup o' tea . That said, I understand now that these days dairies that produce just unpasteurised milk are held to very strict standards, far stricter some say than those who produce just pasteurised. And milking equipment is far more advanced & hygienic than before widespread pasteurisation. So I still drink it now

www.amazon.com/Culture-Fear-Americans-Afraid-Things/dp/0465014909

This is for chipping in and DBF - who've probably left the thread by now Only been off MN for 24 hours and look what's happened - usual bun fight

Just to throw my own coupla buns in to the ring: I'm allergic to nuts (very) and DH is vegetarian (also very) and we've been known to go to dinner parties (mostly pot lucks in my circle, actually) where we've just not been able to eat certain things and we haven't actually died of it.... and we've still kept in touch with our friends, despite their including nuts and meat in their cooking.

Imagine that!

kitsmummumy That doctor was horrible! I'm not a microbiologist, but can't help feel that if the bacteria or viral strain present for meningitis is found within "unpasteurised cheeses, then we as a population as a whole, have a big problem! It's also a crying shame that a medic (an presumably academic) didn't understand what the word "guideline" meant.

I expect it's been said already but how is 'sourcing' chesse different to just buying it?

In my mind sourcing involves putting a bit more thought into what you're purchasing, doing some research, deciding where the best to go is. Buying is just chucking some stuff in the trolley.

I think this (probably wildly inaccurate) belief comes from me wondering what HR mean when they tell people they are "sourcing some new hole punches" or something.

Have only just seen these responses, I thought I'd killed the thread with my joyless tale . Yes he was ok thanks, thankfully made a full recovery with no long term effects. Will never forget how awful it was to think for a while that maybe I had put him into hospital. I do think the doctor's attitude was pretty dreadful though, the nurse apologised for her when she left the room - said she had a terrible bedside manner!

Chocolate

If I had a friend who was allergic to nuts coming over for dinner there would be no nuts anywhere, I can't believe that yours aren;t the same.

And whilst I will still cook meat if a veggetarian comes over, there will always be a veggie meal for them, hopefully not to disimilar to the main meal.