Bun in the oven? Can I add cheese?

By Amy Baker

Oct 6, 2021

Cheese Stack

This is not official advice and we recommend referring to the NHS website to make sure you’re comfortable with what you’re eating during pregnancy. We’re Cheese Geeks here but we leave the medical advice to the professionals. 

In addition to the more crazy cravings like charcoal or chalk, lots of expectant mums can’t get enough of cheese (we get it!)

As a general rule of thumb, you can eat any cheese as long as it’s totally cooked through (YES, cheese toasties are back on the menu!) This gives you the opportunity to get creative in the kitchen. There’s also lot’s of evidence suggesting that hard, matured cheeses are safe to eat even if unpasteurised. That being said there are plenty of pasteurised cheeses that still pack a punch (Old Winchester we’re looking at you beautiful). If you're a blue’s lover, all Stilton is made from pasteurised milk so you don’t have to miss out on the Christmas board if you’re cheesing for two!

What even is pasteurisation we hear you ask? Pasteurisation is the process of heat treating raw milk to eliminate pathogens. There are many raw milk purists out there but here at CG we don’t discriminate...all cheese is beautiful (except the supermarket stuff!)

Soft cheeses are a little more tricky. Due to their higher moisture content, there’s a higher chance of bacteria growth. Avoid all soft cheeses unless cooked, including those with washed or bloomy (white) rinds and soft blue cheese, unless otherwise advised by a health care worker. But don’t despair! If these cheeses are cooked through (until steaming) they are okay to eat. So crank up the oven because baked baron bigod is back on the menu!

If you’re interested in pregnancy friendly cheese you can get in touch with our amazing support team.

Click here to view the NHS approved list of safe cheeses to eat during pregnancy.

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