Cheeses during pregnancy

[ClaraSolis]

Hi, I'm a few weeks pregnant and still trying to figure out what I'm allowed to eat.

I know some soft cheeses are a no-no unless they are pasteurised, but the problem is I often can't seem to find out if they are or not!

I've had pizza from Sainsbury's which had mozzarella and goat's cheese, but the ingredients didn't mention if they were pasteurised or not. We're going out for pizza with friends next week as well, and again the menu of the restaurant doesn't mention if the cheeses are pasteurised or not. 🍕

Am I okay to eat cheese like mozzarella and goat's cheese on pizza, as it will have been cooked in an oven? Or would this still not be okay?

You can have any cheese cooked so it’s fine on top of pizza.

If the cheese is going to be cooked then it doesn't matter if its pasteurised or not.

Some hard cheeses are ok if unpasteurised e.g. parmesan as they have a low moisture content.

Conversely some mould ripened and cheeses with rind that are pasteurised should not be eaten unless cooked due to their high moisture content.

It's also pretty safe to assume that most cheeses in supermarket food will be pasteurised, and will be clearly labelled as unpasteurised if not.

(Incidentally, on a pizza was my favourite way to eat banned foods during pregnancy - you can eat basically anything if you bung it on a pizza!)

Most cheese is pasturised. Soft cheeses like feta, brie, etc need to be cooked all the way through. Cheddar etc is absolutely fine to eat cold.

My midwife pretty much said if you buy it in a normal supermarket, it's fine, even brie and gorgonzola. They're only a problem if they're the real deal from a proper cheese shop. Anything not safe says it very clearly.

In the UK cheese will say on the packet if it is made from unpasteurised milk.

The issue with soft cheeses (including mould ripened cheeses like brie and blue cheeses) is that they may contain listeria. It is a small chance but one to be aware of. In any event, those cheese are all fine if cooked through, as that will kill any bugs.

The best source of info on this stuff is the NHS:

https://www.nhsinform.scot/ready-steady-baby/pregnancy/looking-after-yourself-and-your-baby/eating-well-in-pregnancy/#:~:text=Dairy%20foods&text=Pasteurised%20semi%2Dhard%20and%20soft,Pasteurised%20milk%20and%20yoghurt

Thank you for the replies everyone, it's put my mind at ease! I don't really eat cheese much, but I do love it on a pizza or in pasta. Goat's cheese on pizza is one of my favourite things!

So happy to hear I can still have this when going out for a meal. 😊

The cheese confusion is REAL. I spent an embarrassing amount of time in Tesco last week reading labels like some kind of dairy detective. From what my midwife said + my own obsessive Googling: Hard cheese (cheddar, parmesan, Gruyere) = fine, even if unpasteurised. Soft pasteurised cheese (mozzarella, cream cheese, cottage cheese) = fine. Soft MOULD-RIPENED (brie, camembert, blue cheese) = avoid unless cooked until steaming. The issue is listeria, which grows better in soft, moist environments. Hard cheese is too dry and acidic for it. So basically: melt your brie on something until it is properly hot, and eat all the cheddar you want. Which is good because cheddar is about 60% of my current diet.