What’s the go with soft cheese during pregnancy?
Why am I told I cannot have soft cheese?
Put simply- food poisoning. Due to certain hormonal and immune system changes in pregnancy the risk of infection including food borne viruses (food poisoning) increases.
What food borne viruses commonly occur during pregnancy? Listeriosis (listeria).
Although this is not a common illness, causing just 1% of food outbreaks and illnesses, pregnant women are more at risk of contracting the infection and can cause significant harm to an unborn baby including miscarriage, preterm labour, neonatal disease or even death.
BUT is soft cheese really something that we need to fear?
Most women are told they must stay away from soft cheese but they are never actually told why.
In all honesty the risk of illness from soft cheese is quite low if stored and handled correctly. It is estimated that the risk of getting listeria from soft cheese to be 1 case in 5 million servings of soft cheese.
When it comes to soft and unpasteurised cheese it is extremely important that they are stored correctly below 10°C and that they are wrapped properly to prevent bacteria growth.
But think about it, when is soft cheese often served? Usually on cheese platters that sit out in the sun for hours getting warm and growing bacteria, on premade salads that have been sitting in a cabinet for who knows how long or in at the deli sitting open in a cabinet that is being opened and closed 100 times a day soaoking up all sorts of bacteria and probably not sitting below 10°C… 🤢
I'm not telling you that soft cheese is 100% safe (but really is anything 100% safe?) but I want to show you that you do not need to fear soft cheese like the plague. I personally ate soft cheese while pregnant, but I made sure that I prepared it myself and I ate it straight away not after hours of it sitting out in the elements, I didn’t eat pre-made salads with soft cheese on it and I didnt buy feta from the deli. Also, when soft cheeses are cooked like on a pizza this actually kills off the bacteria that causes illness.
However, it must be noted that queso fresco a Mexican cheese is responsible for about 20% of listeria outbreaks, so this might be a cheese you try to stay away from but feta on a fresh salad or pizza that you have made yourself and are eating straight away you might choose to consume.
Hopefully this has cleared up some of the fear and confusion around soft cheese and given you the confidence to make your own decisions, rather than being scared into submission like pregnant women so often are.
