Pregnant and cheese? You need to know this! Are you pregnant at the moment and are you really looking forward to a nice piece of cheese, but are you wondering whether it is safe for your unborn child? A lot of advice is given about eating (or not eating!) certain foods. Cheese is also said to be careful. But as you know, there are many kinds of cheese. And I can tell you with confidence that there is cheese that you can eat while pregnant. So read on quickly! The most important thing is to distinguish between raw milk and pasteurized cheeses. Cheese itself contains a lot of calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12. So good for you and the baby.
Raw milk cheese
It is better not to eat raw milk cheeses during your pregnancy. As the name suggests, the milk with which this cheese is made is not pasteurized. In other words; the cheese is made from raw milk. Because the milk is not pasteurized, there is a greater risk that the listeria bacteria will remain in the milk, and therefore also in your cheese. The listeria bacteria survives the freezer and can even multiply in the refrigerator. You can contract a food infection as a result, although this is rare in healthy people. However, pregnant women should be extra careful. While uncommon, it is possible that contamination of this bacteria could lead to premature birth or even miscarriage. And that is of course the last thing you want when you are pregnant.
Cheese from pasteurized milk
Now you ask yourself, how can I tell if this cheese is made from pasteurized milk? That is a good question and fortunately this is also easy to distinguish. All our farmhouse cheeses are made from raw, unprocessed milk, so they are not suitable for pregnant women. All our other cheeses are made from pasteurized milk. These cheeses are therefore suitable for pregnant women. However, if you want to make a warm dish, you can use these cheeses. In contrast to the cool temperatures of your refrigerator and freezer, the listeria bacteria does not survive when heated above 85 degrees. All cheeses made from pasteurized milk are safe to eat. It is therefore important to know that it is not about the type of cheese, but about the milk from which the cheese is made. So whether it is pasteurized or whether it is raw.
Eating cheese during your pregnancy
Now quickly on to the cheese that you can eat, because that is the most important thing to know. And why you can eat these:
Goat cheese. Listeria has never been found in this type of cheese, making it a safe cheese to eat during pregnancy.
Dutch cheeses from young to old and all our Dutch cumin cheeses are suitable anyway.
Farmer's cheese spreads. In our webshop you will also find farmer's cheese spreads in addition to pieces of cheese. All these cheese spreads have had a heat treatment - they are pasteurized - making them safe to eat during your pregnancy.
Finally, the cheese fondue. Not really a type of cheese, of course, but a delicious treat if you like cheese. Because the cheese is heated, you can also eat cheese fondues with unpasteurized milk. The listeria bacteria are killed by the heat. But of course think about the alcohol, avoid it.
ALWAYS important to check whether the cheese is made from pasteurized milk. With all cheeses in our webshop you can find out whether they are made from pasteurized or raw milk under the heading 'properties'. Everything for the safety of your child! So enjoy a piece of cheese from time to time! Pregnant and cheese, you need to know this! Now you know what to enjoy during your pregnancy.