Accidentally gave my 13 month old blue cheese

[RoastedSalsa]

Went to a friend's for dinner and was feeding my 13 month old what we were having, without realising that there was uncooked blue cheese in the dish. I'm usually pretty relaxed about what I feed her but I'm concerned about this.

NHS website explicitly says to avoid feeding babies and young children blue cheese. Trying hard not to worry. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

What was the dish though? Was it cooked as part of the dish even if it was originally an uncooked ingredient?

NHS say it should be fine if it's been cooked as that should kill any listeria.

No harm done then cooked. It wasn't raw being in a dish?

The whole dish was uncooked, including the cheese, which is why I'm concerned.

To make it clearer, the cheese was part of a starter that contained vegetables and herbs, everything was raw. Including the cheese.

It wouldn’t have actually occurred to me to worry about this and I’m so surprised I had to Google it to check. You’re right that is the official advice but honestly I wouldn’t give it a second thought. Listeria is serious yes but it’s also incredibly rare - when there is an outbreak it makes the news. And it’s usually in completely random foods - it’s been found in frozen peas and corn, flavoured butters, melon etc and when there’s an outbreak these products get recalled - you’d have to avoid EVERYTHING to completely avoid the risk! Mould ripened and unpasteurised cheeses only have a slightly higher risk than any other food.

Youngest was given unpasteurised goats cheese by GMIL - they had some loose shits but were fine other than that.

Thank you for this. This is what I've been telling myself but I can't help but worry. The way you've framed it is really useful and you're right. The risk really is very low.

It could have been pasturised?
the advice is not to give blue cheese to children under one because of the chance of listeria and them at a higher chance of becoming unwell
i I don’t think listeria is very high in UK foods so I wouldn’t panic too much

I wouldn't worry. It happens. Listeria is very rare.

Thank you. My husband just sent me some stats. Apparently there were 177 cases of listeriosis in the UK last year. I'm starting to relax a bit again.

Listeria is extremely rare in UK and would have made your little one poorly so you would know. Don’t worry.

Official advice notwithstanding FWIW apparently aged 2 I found my way into the larder and scoffed a large slab of Christmas stilton - along with an oblong box of dates (putting the stones neatly back in the box with the stalk). I lived. Though I've never been too keen on stilton since. Try not to worry unless you see signs that work you!

The advice has changed. It used to be under 12 months and has recently changed to “babies and young children” without giving specific details of what that might mean.

So up until recently people were giving young DC unpasteurised cheeses and I can’t remember reading of a single case where it caused a problem.

Are you worried DC may develop expensive tastes early on and require such cheeses in more complex dishes?

Haha jokes aside, there is a tiny chance they will be sick and hopefully just a little scare.

I didn't know this was a thing! I've given mine blue cheese as toddlers. They alwasy try a bit of everything off a cheese board.
I wouldn't worry.

It was fine for over 12 months when DD was little and she had some at 15 months at a family meal. No issues.
I was more worried about the water she drank out of the hose and the chicken feed out of the hen run that has rats in it sometimes. We weren’t deliberately negligent but she got in there one day when ex took his eye off her for a nanosecond.

This is actually a thing!

We gave my first blue cheese at around the same age.

Now as a poor student gets food parcels of blue cheese and fancy crackers. Wish I’d given them beans on toast instead

By 13 months she has probably put worse things in her mouth than blue cheese. I wouldn't worry.

At 9 months my DD ate her own poop. Your DC will be fine op, try not to worry.

I was famous in our area as a baby of that age for having a passion for strong Gorgonzola. I know it sounds weird.

Unfortunately this was me too, my poor parents had a fridge full of it at all times 😅

Thanks so much for the replies, I'm feeling much more relaxed about it all (and have had a good chuckle). Expensive taste indeed! She was loving it!

Agree! My grandad gave me a taste of Danish Blue (can you still get that?) as a joke when I was one, (the way some people give babies a lemon to suck on) and I asked for some more. And that started a life-long love affair with blue mouldy runny smelly cheese. I always have two or three different varieties in the fridge.

Never knew this was a thing and our youngest ate loads of it at a very young age. I’d not be particularly worried. Just know the symptoms and be grateful you have a kid that eats all sorts.

Yeah you can still get it! Love DB