Eating cheese while pregnant

We have a lot of people come into the shop looking for cheese suitable to eat during pregnancy. It can be quite a confusing subject with a wide range of answers depending on where you look.

We won't be giving you a definitive answer here as we think it's important that you understand the risks and then make an informed decision yourself but here's a bit of info on eating cheese while pregnant.

The reason to be careful eating cheese while pregnant is due to the risk of Listeria. Listeria is a bacteria in soil and as the cows, sheep or goats consume grass and turn it into milk there's a chance that they can consume this bacteria too.
In most cases the bacteria are destroyed by heating, cooking or pasteurisation but there is a chance they can survive in some soft cheeses. This is where the main risk lies, although it's important to note that Listeria infection in pregnant women is extremely rare.
For this reason pregnant women are advised to avoid blue cheese and soft cheese whether pasteurised or not.

You can still enjoy as much hard cheese as you like though, as they are all heated in some way during the cheese making process.

We hope this helps with your cheese buying and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.

Here's a link to a page on the NHS on foods to avoid while pregnant