Craving brie

[gimmeadoughnut123]

Like mad for 2 weeks. Are there any 'versions' of it you are allowed to eat in pregnancy? It's my first child so I would prefer to stick to the rules and advice.
But I can't stop thinking about a cracker, nice wedge of brie on top, and chilli chutney!!!! My husband bought some brie for his work breakfast tomorrow when we were in the supermarket and it just isn't fair!

You can have it cooked x

I think you can have any cheese as long as it's pasteurised. Maybe not veiny blue...

I’ve been in Paris a few times for work and each time I’ve had some Brie at breakfast, I figured it’s not a huge risk - not like a big slab of raw meat or something. Up to you but I doubt it would be the worst thing

How about a nice big baked camembert with crusty bread?

There’s a very high chance indeed that you’d be perfectly fine. The risk is that some soft cheeses, including Brie, can contain listeria, even when pasteurised. Listeria is very vulnerable to heat, though, so cooking it makes it safe.

You probably have the same chance you always had of catching listeria from Brie (ie a very low one!) (but I might be wrong - your immune system has had to reduce itself in order to accept growing a baby, so you might have a higher chance than usual), but if you do catch it it can have very bad effect on your baby. I forget if it’s also worse for pregnant women, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it is.

Bake it and dip stuff in it.

You're welcome...

www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/289573437

I know how you feel - I had some cooked Camembert in a 'festive burger' today & it was amazing!

I will definitely get some of the brie bites!!!

Sadly the thought of baked cheese with crusty bread, for the first time ever, isn't doing it for me. I'm in the mood for brie on crackers. That'll be my first stop after baby is born.

I think you can have any cheese as long as it's pasteurised. Maybe not veiny blue...

No. No. No. This is wrong on both counts.

You can eat whatever you like, of course, but if someone cares enough to start a thread on the issue then they need accurate information.

The guidance says:

• You can have hard cheese whether pasteurised or not. This includes Stilton.

• soft mould-ripened cheeses like Brie and Camembert are not recommended even if pasteurised because the rind provides an ideal breeding ground for potentially harmful bacteria.

I believe port salut is a hard cheese even though it is slightly squidgy so might fulfil some of your craving on a cracker? I've requested some for the Christmas cheese board!

This!!!!

president.uk.com/products/cheese/creme-de-brie

Definitely 100% ok for pregnant ladies. It seriously saved my sanity in both my pregnancies! I got it in Waitrose or really really big Asda superstores, and ate it with a crusty baguette, it was absolute bliss! It's in the same section and the cream cheeses, St Agur do a creme de blue which is ok too, but nothing like the Brie!

Hope that helps! It is gorgeous...

Oooh that spreadable brie is a good shout!

I had a tonne of ripe smelly cheese at a wedding whilst pregnant as well as two small proseccos, but it was my second pregnancy so its totally different

Apparently you are far more likely to get listeria from salad/vegetables than cheese but no one really seems to say much about that?

Yes to port salut! That satisfied my squidgy cheese hankering this month. Will defo be investigating that creme de brie, too.

Just a thought... What would it be like to bake a brie/camembert, cool it thoroughly and then slice it for crackers? Would it work? I think I'm going to be running that experiment myself soon.

@canihaveacoffeeplease Can I ask how you know that the spreadable stuff is okay for pregnant ladies? The ingredients say 55%? President Brie cheese, so unless it's been cooked surely that's not okay? Thanks!

@mama I was curious about this too!! Missing brie on a cracker so much, I reckon we could cook a whole brie leave it to cool then use as normal? I'm drooling just thinking about it

I ate it. Looked at all the science behind why you should or shouldn’t and took the infinitesimally small risk.

My body, my choice.

waits for someone to reply as if I injected heroin into my womb

@stargirl90, I don't doubt it would be safe, as any germs would be killed off by cooking, I just don't know if it would be nice!

Would love to hear back from the cook then cool experiment.... That might be the answer to my Christmas plans! Luckily I like cooked cheese, but it might be a bit much for breakfast at the in-laws

I ate some Brie yesterday (18+4) because I really, really wanted some 🤷🏼‍♀️ but I am aware it isn't recommended! I made the informed the decision that the likelihood of it making me ill was pretty tiny, and it hasn't. Won't make a habit of it though!

likelihood of it making me ill was pretty tiny, and it hasn't

Sorry to piss on your chips but listeria has a considerably longer incubation period than 1 day, so you can't actually say it hasn't made you ill however the chances are only very tiny. I also continue to eat brie. Mainly as the last 3 listeria outbreaks were from frozen veg!

I had a tonne of ripe smelly cheese at wedding whilst pregnant as well as two small proseccos, but it was my second pregnancy so its totally different

That was me at a wedding last month! 2nd time certainly is different!

I'm actually even more paranoid this second time round!!

Just to update... no sign of listeria yet 😁