Certain cheeses may have bacteria that can harm a baby even before it is born. The Food and Drug Administration recommends that pregnant women avoid unpasteurized cheese.
Unpasteurized soft cheeses such as
- feta,
- Brie,
- amembert,
- blue-veined cheeses
- Mexican style cheeses such as queso fresco, queso blanco and panela
All of these cheeses have been associated with several cases of an illness called “listeriosis.”
Listeriosis is caused by a bacterium called Listeria and can harm both mother and baby. According to the Centers for Disease Control, pregnant women are about 20 times more likely than others to be infected, with about one-third of all listeriosis cases occurring during pregnancy. Listeriosis can kill fetuses, prompt premature births, and can lead to hearing loss or brain damage in newborns and neurological effects and cardio respiratory failure in adults. It is possible that a pregnant woman may have the infection and not have any symptoms or have symptoms often mistaken for the flu.
Because listerosis is so deadly, it is best to protect baby and mom by preventing infection. Unpasteurized cheeses are often sold door-to-door, at flea markets, from the back of trucks, or brought into the U.S. from Mexico or Central America. Before consuming any cheese, check the label to be sure it says “made from pasteurized milk.” If you cannot find this on the label, do not eat it.
To learn more about the risks of eating unpasteurized cheese, visit the FDA Web site for information like publication:
