Areyou wondering if you can eat cheese during your pregnancy? It's perfectly possible, and even recommended, but with a few conditions... So which cheeses are allowed and which ones should be avoided? Why are some not recommended? In these few lines, you will find the information you need to avoid the risk of toxi-infections as much as possible and thus be reassured about your safety and especially that of your baby.
Bacteriological risks
The consumption of certain cheeses creates a bacteriological risk, such as the listeriamentioned in a previous article. Listeria, the bacterium responsible for this pathology, is resistant to cold and multiplies at 4°C ! In other words, this is the temperature of the refrigerator. However, you should know that freezing the bacteria stops its growth but does not destroy it! Regular cleaning of the refrigerator and separation of raw and cooked food is highly recommended. Moreover, listeria does not alter the taste of food, which makes it particularly insidious and dangerous...
The contamination can be intrauterine and cause symptoms in the mother such as febrile gastroenteritis (diarrhoea, nausea, fever, aches and pains) which generally passes within a few days. This syndrome is the most frequent and appears on average 24 hours after the food contamination. There can also be a fever isolated or associated with a flu-like syndrome but the contamination can also be completely asymptomatic! Listeriosis is much more serious for the foetus than for the mother, with the risk of premature delivery.
Precautions to take
To avoid this risk, a few precautions should be taken. For example, it is advisable toremove the rind from cheeses, and toavoid taking them by the slice from the cheesemonger or already grated, but rather pre-packaged industrially. It is also important to read the labels of the cheeses you buy. Indeed, the only way to destroy listeria is to cook the cheese at more than 70°C. Industrial processes, such as pasteurisation, make it possible to reach this temperature. It is therefore essential to consume cheese made from pasteurised milk throughout your pregnancy. Thermisation, on the other hand, is inferior to pasteurisation. Milk is thermised at 57-68°C for 15 seconds, which is not enough time. It is therefore advisable not to consume cheese made from thermised milk during pregnancy.
Cheeses allowed or to be avoided
Among the cheeses made from pasteurised milk, we find mozzarella, ricotta, mascarpone... Pressed cooked cheeses, preferably with a maturing period of more than 6 months, are also authorised, such as Gruyere, Comté, Parmesan, Manchego, Provolone, Pecorino, Gouda, Edam, Cheddar..., as well as processed cheeses for spreading.
In this winter period, you will be delighted to learn that cheese-based dishes such as raclette, fondue savoyarde and tartiflette are allowed provided that the cooking is pushed, as you will have understood, until reaching 70°C in the middle! This means that the cheese must not only be melted but also burnt all over.
All unpasteurised raw milk cheeses should be avoided. Among them are soft cheeses: these so-called "wet" cheeses are not heated or pressed. As an aside, you should know that feta cheese, even if it is made from pasteurised milk, is not recommended during pregnancy because of its humidity. Among the soft cheeses that should be avoided, there are three sub-groups: :
- Unpasteurised bloomy rind cheese: Coulommiers, Camembert, Chaource, Saint-Félicien, Saint-Marcellin, Tomme de Provence, Brie, Brique de brebis et de chèvre...
- Unpasteurised washed-rind cheeses: Livarot, Maroilles, Munster, Mont d'Or, Pont l'EvĂŞque...
- With natural rind: Rocamadour, Crottin de Chavignol, Bûche du Poitou...
Finally, it is strongly advised against eating blue-veined cheeses such as Roquefort, Saint-Agur, Fourme d'Ambert, Bresse bleu, Gorgonzola, Bleu d'Auvergne, etc.
Despite all these prohibitions, we must not forget that we eat cheese for its many benefits! Indeed, they are particularly rich in protein and calcium, which is very interesting during pregnancy! Be careful, however, to eat only a small amount of cheese because of its high energy value. But when it comes to tartiflette and other cheese-based meals, mums-to-be, treat yourself in complete safety!
Dietician - Nutritionist specialising in paediatricse
Source:
- RAIMOND E. Listeriosis during pregnancy. Obstetrics. 2019
- Listeriosis - Ministry of Solidarity and Health (solidarites-sante.gouv.fr)
- Pregnancy and foodborne infections: listeriosis and toxoplasmosis (naitreetgrandir.com)