question about unpasteurized cheez

bosoxinny

I know that eating unpasteurized cheese is a big no-no during pregnancy, but what if you heat the cheese up?  Is it ok then? Tonight I am making braciole that has unpasteurized provolone in it.  The braciole has been in the boiling spaghetti sauce I made for about 2hrs.  I would think it's ok because any bacteria should be killed.  Just wanted your opinions on it.

Also, what about soft cheeses?  For example, I keep reading that I should avoid feta but all the feta I see at the supermarket is pasteurized.  Should you avoid soft cheeses even if they are pasteurized?

Thanks for your responses!

Mitzie

If you boiled it it should be fine.

The unpasteurized cheese thing is because there might be listeria in it. It's very rare and even though there is a small risk IMO it's not worth worrying about. I don't make a habit of eating raw milk and/or unpasteurized cheeses, but I'm not going out of way to avoid them. The same goes for soft ice cream.

MidwestTexan

I would say you are safe to eat the braciole since the cheese in it has been heated up. I have eaten all sorts of soft cheeses (brie, goat cheese, etc.); I just make sure they are pasteurized first as you mentioned. You should be fine with the pasteurized feta.