What cheeses tend to be unpasteurized and/or unsafe

Don’t eat mould-ripened soft cheese (cheeses with a white rind) such as brie and camembert. This includes mould-ripened soft goats’ cheese, such as chevre. These cheeses are only safe to eat in pregnancy if they’ve been cooked.

Babies can eat pasteurised full-fat cheese from 6 months old. Babies and young children should not eat mould-ripened soft cheeses, such as brie or camembert, or ripened goats’ milk cheese and soft blue-veined cheese, such as roquefort. There’s a higher risk that these cheeses might carry a bacteria called listeria.

• Brie.
• Camembert.
• feta.
• Roquefort.
• queso fresco.
• queso blanco.
• panela.

Dodoni – one of the most popular authentic Greek brands, Dodoni lists their feta cheese as being made with pasteurized milk. Athenos – they make a huge variety of feta cheese flavors, and their website lists them as being made with pasteurized milk, so they’re safe in pregnancy.

The main risk of eating feta cheese, or any soft cheese during pregnancy, is that it can contain a harmful type of bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes that can be very harmful to your unborn baby.

Some types of goat cheese are unsafe for pregnant women Listeriosis largely only causes mild fever and flu-like symptoms for the mother, but it may lead to meningitis, blood infection, or death for the baby ( 1 ). Soft cheeses made from raw, unpasteurized goat milk have a higher risk of bacterial contamination.

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. Cheddar, Manchego, and blue cheeses are readily available in both raw and pasteurized form.

Of. Cheese! Unpasteurized soft cheeses may contain dangerous bacteria including the one that can cause fatal tuberculosis, and another one called Listeria, which can cross over into the placenta and lead to infections or blood poisoning in the baby, or even miscarriage.

“Even if it’s unpasteurized, if the cheese is heated until it’s melted or bubbly, then it’s safe,” says Redfern.

Per federal guidelines, we always age these cheeses for a minimum of 60 days to ensure that they are completely safe to eat. The egg yolks used in our Tillamook Ice Cream recipes are fully pasteurized. If pregnant, we recommend checking with your doctor if you have any additional concerns.

Traditionally, cheddar cheese is made with raw, unpasteurized milk. In the USA, the FDA allow cheddar to be made with unpasteurized milk, but it has to be aged for at least 60 days before selling it (source: FDA).

Kraft Singles American Cheese Slices are made with quality ingredients, like fresh pasteurized milk, so you can feel good about feeding them to your family. Slide a slice of this deli style cheese into a grilled cheese sandwich, or melt one on top of a juicy burger.

Nacho cheese – this isn’t really a cheese, but a cheese dip. If made with hard, shredded or grated cheese, it’s fine to eat if you’re pregnant. This cheese is processed, and is safe to eat in pregnancy.

Most items on the Taco Bell menu are safe for pregnant women, because the meat in Taco Bell’s products is fully cooked, and Taco Bell’s cheese is a pasteurized, processed product (source: Taco Bell).

You can enjoy bacon safely during pregnancy. Just make sure to cook it thoroughly, until it’s steaming hot. Avoid ordering bacon at a restaurant because you don’t know how well it’s cooked. If you want to avoid all risks completely, there are meat-free bacon alternatives available, like soy or mushroom bacon.