Cream Cheese During Pregnancy: Can I Eat It?
Nutrition during pregnancy is a major issue for expectant mothers. What is allowed and what should be avoided? You can find out here whether you can eat cream cheese carefree during pregnancy.
The many bans on nutrition during pregnancy can be quite confusing. What are you allowed to eat, what should you eat and what should you keep your hands off? Especially with cheese during pregnancy there are big differences. Some types are questionable and can harm you and your baby. But is cream cheese also one of the questionable cheeses?
Cream cheese during pregnancy: Rather do without it?
With cheese in general, you need to pay close attention during pregnancy. Whether you should rather do without it depends entirely on the type of cheese. This does not mean that you have to completely ban cheese from your menu. On the contrary: cheese is quite healthy, because it contains many important nutrients and lots of protein.
In general: Hands off products made from raw milk!
Fresh cheese, on the other hand, is usually made from heat-treated, i.e. pasteurised, milk. That’s why you can enjoy cream cheese during pregnancy, but only as long as it comes from the refrigerator. Cream cheese sold open at the counter can be contaminated with germs. Therefore it is better to avoid open cream cheese during pregnancy.
What is the difference between raw milk cheese and cream cheese?
The term raw milk cheese is confusing for many pregnant women and many women assume that fresh cheese is also a raw milk cheese. However, this is usually made from pasteurised milk – i.e. milk that has been preserved by heating it to a high temperature. This process kills off germs and pathogens, so that products made from pasteurised milk can be consumed without any risk even during pregnancy. Raw milk cheese, on the other hand, is made from milk that has been heated to a maximum of 40 degrees. However, many pathogens are not killed at this temperature, so it is better to avoid raw milk products completely during pregnancy.
Cheese in pregnancy, but please aseptic!
Among other things, you should avoid these types of cheese:
- Parmigiano Reggiano D.O.P.
- Sliced cheese Gruyère
- Sbrinz
- Emmentaler AOC
- Allgäuer Emmental PDO
- Emmental de Savoie AOP
- Cantal
- Salers
- Laguiole
- Comté
- Gruyére
An exception is Parmesan cheese during pregnancy. Although Italian hard cheese is often made from raw milk, the fact that it has been heated slightly and has to mature for a very long time means that Parmesan cheese is not dangerous for pregnant women. For all other types of cheese, please cut off the rind before eating, as this is also a potential source of germs.
Listeriosis
An infection with Listeria rarely occurs in pregnant women. However, if a pregnant woman becomes infected, it can be fatal for the fetus. Infection occurs mainly through the consumption of contaminated food of animal or plant origin, such as unwashed salad or raw milk products. It is therefore preferable to switch to safe cheese for the duration of pregnancy. Once your baby is there, you can enjoy it again. Until then, cream cheese is a safe alternative.