13
Whether you can enjoy shepherd’s cheese during pregnancy depends primarily on whether it is made from raw milk or pasteurized milk. It is therefore important that you read the information on the packaging carefully.
Shepherd’s cheese and pregnancy: No problem if made from pasteurized milk
Unlike feta, shepherd’s cheese is made exclusively from cow’s milk. It is preserved in brine.
- When buying shepherd’s cheese in the supermarket, pay attention to the information on the packaging. If you see the words “raw milk,” you should not eat the cheese during pregnancy. If this information is not included, you can safely consume the shepherd’s cheese, as it was made from pasteurized milk.
- If the cheese was made from raw milk, this means that the milk was not heated above 40 degrees Celsius. This poses a risk of infection with listeria, as these pathogens are only killed at higher temperatures.
- Good to know: Heated raw milk cheese can be consumed without hesitation, as listeria is killed at sufficiently high temperatures (from around 70 degrees Celsius). So if you heat raw milk cheese yourself when cooking or grating, there are no health risks to worry about. Use a kitchen thermometer to check the temperature.
- Once the packaging has been opened, you should consume the cheese within two days. If stored for longer, bacteria or similar harmful substances could develop even at home.
- To be on the safe side, you should also avoid unpackaged shepherd’s cheese from the deli counter, even if it is made from pasteurized milk. Since it is stored openly there, pathogens may also accumulate under certain circumstances.
Raw milk products during pregnancy: Why they are dangerous
Unheated raw milk products may contain bacteria that promote listeriosis during pregnancy .
- Listeria bacteria are transferred to milk during milking, for example. They multiply rapidly there and are resistant to low temperatures. Even deep-freezing cannot harm them. Listeria bacteria are invisible, odorless, and inconspicuous—you can neither taste nor see them. To kill the pathogens, food must be heated to at least 70 degrees Celsius.
- Listeriosis is not critical for healthy people, but during pregnancy, the bacteria can cause organ damage in the baby or lead to miscarriage. You should therefore avoid raw milk products, such as mozzarella, during this time.
- Good to know: Products made from unpasteurized milk must be labeled accordingly by the manufacturer by law. The word “raw milk” must therefore be indicated on the packaging.
Recommendations for types of cheese during pregnancy: Safe varieties
These recommendations will help you choose safe cheese products:
- Prefer pasteurized cheese: Many of the common varieties such as Gouda, Butterkäse, Leerdammer, Tilsiter, Edam, and Cheddar can be consumed without hesitation, provided that there is no indication of raw milk on the packaging. Camembert and Brie are also considered safe if they are clearly not labeled as raw milk products.
- Hard cheese as an alternative: Hard cheeses such as Parmesan, Emmental, or mountain cheese generally pose a lower risk of infection, as the maturing process and high salt content inhibit the growth of germs. These cheeses are often considered safe even if they are made from raw milk. However, you should pay attention to the labeling and, if in doubt, seek medical advice in advance.
- Cream cheese: Cottage cheese, ricotta, mascarpone, and herb cream cheese (e.g., Philadelphia) are also safe as long as they are pasteurized.
- Processed cheese and cooked cheese: These varieties are safe because they are heated during production.
- Avoid cheese from the deli counter: Cheese stored openly at the deli counter may pose an increased risk of contamination, so caution is advised here as well. Instead, opt for packaged products where the production and storage conditions can be traced more accurately.
