Pregnant mothers should have a healthy and nourishing diet so that the baby’s food needs to be eaten now, but some foods may be harmful to pregnant mothers, so choosing a healthy diet is very important. Cheese is one of the items that can be very pleasant with fresh bread or salad. Cheese is rich in nutrients that can be included in the diet of pregnant women and many of them are needed by mothers and children.
Goat Cheese at a Glance
- There is no problem with eating cheese during pregnancy.
- It is very important that the cheese is made from pasteurized milk.
- Raw cheese can contain harmful pathogens.
Can Pregnant Women Eat Goat Cheese?
Whether it is safe to eat goat cheese during pregnancy or not depends on the milk from which the cheese is made. If the cheese is made from pasteurized goat’s milk, it is allowed to eat it, but if the milk used is raw, pregnant women should avoid eating it because raw milk can contain organisms harmful to the fetus, but milk that has been heated is usually free of Any pathogen is harmful. Raw milk cheese can only be consumed in one case, and that is if the milk has been heated for at least two minutes at a temperature of 80° C so that all the pathogens are destroyed. Pasteurized cheeses means the process by which bacteria, yeasts, and milk molds are destroyed and the milk becomes safe to eat.
Hard goat cheese has low moisture content and it is difficult for bacteria to grow in it, so it is safe to eat pasteurized hard cheese and unpasteurized hard cheese during the dry season. Hard cheese can be easily distinguished from soft cheese by its appearance.
Pregnant women should pay attention, if the cheese is prepared from the store in a package, they should pay attention to the expiration date of the cheese and make sure that raw milk is not used in the cheese. Just make sure the cheese is fully cooked to 165° Fahrenheit, according to the CDC.
Can Goat Cheese be Harmful to Pregnant Women?
In general, pregnant women are more exposed to food poisoning with pathogens such as listeria than the general population, so some cheeses can cause poisoning during pregnancy, so they are unsafe for pregnant women. Listeria can lead to mild fever and flu-like symptoms in mothers, and in more severe cases, it can lead to meningitis and infant death. In some cases, listeriosis can cause premature birth and it is better for women to avoid eating raw cheese or unpasteurized cheese because they both cause them to be infected and cause the pathogen to be transferred to the fetus.
Soft cheeses made from raw goat’s milk and unpasteurized milk are more dangerous. It has been said that soft, raw and ripe cheeses are 50 to 160 times more contaminated with listeria than pasteurized cheeses and can have a greater risk for pregnant women to suffer from listeriosis.
If by chance a pregnant woman consumes cheese made with raw milk, there is no need to be afraid and worried because infection with listeria is very rare, but she should pay attention to any fever or flu-like symptoms that may occur in the next two months. If the cheese has Listeria, in this case, the doctor must be informed and the test will determine if he has listeriosis or not, and if it is positive, antibiotics must be used.
Is it allowed to Eat Cheese while Breastfeeding?
Many of the restrictions that exist in foods during pregnancy do not exist during breastfeeding and women can use these foods, which also applies to goat cheese, but it should be noted that the type of food that the mother eats affects the taste of milk and If the child refuses to breastfeed after a while or is constantly sick, it should be noted that the mother’s food may not have a pleasant taste for the child. The only substances that are still prohibited during Bardrai are high caffeine, alcohol, and fish with high mercury levels.
Ways to Store Goat Cheese
Goat cheeses, especially soft cheeses, can spoil quickly, so keeping the cheese is very important.
- Cheese should be kept in the refrigerator at a low temperature.
- If possible, it is better to prepare cheese in a package.
- If the sliced cheese is stored in the refrigerator for a long time, it is better to change the foil every two days.
Conclusion
Cheeses are among the foods that, in addition to their many properties, can be very pleasant as a snack, but it should be noted that in order to minimize the damage caused by cheese, the cheese must be cooked or pasteurized from milk because milk Raw and unpasteurized can cause the transfer of listeria to mother and child, which will cause great harm to mother and child.
