Does anyone eat feta cheese while pregnant?

eve87-2 · March 2017

I ate a bit twice and that's after I read you shouldn't but in southern and European countries they do? Opinions?

migdala · March 2017

If it's pasteurized it's fine. If it's unpasteurized it's probably still fine, but I avoid unpasteurized soft cheeses because of the listeria risk, which is still extremely, EXTREMELY tiny. If you want to be on the super safe side, maybe avoid it in the future unless you know it's pasteurized, but honestly don't waste any time worrying about the fact you ate it once. The risk is crazy low and like you said, in other countries it doesn't even make the "do not eat" list.

joforyoga · March 2017

We don't eat lunch meat anyways but I do still eat Brie! It's kind of been my understanding that over in Europe women are way more relaxed than most women in North America when it comes to the rules" of pregnancy.

folamij · March 2017

Just wanted to add. A listeria outbreak happened my last pregnancy...in ice cream.
Its pasteurized so you should be fine

shan24 · March 2017

I had some for dinner tonight. Didn't even think twice about it.

jessafishy · March 2017

Yep. And lunch meat too.

mommac2017 · March 2017

Yes. It's only unpasteurized feta cheese that you can't eat while pregnant. And that's very hard to find. You have to seek it out. So you're good.

canonmom413 · March 2017

I ate really veiny blue cheese on a Cobb salad a week ago. I did have some remorse at first but didn't get sick. So I think I'd roll the dice again if the mood strikes

migdala · March 2017

Goddammit I started thinking about feta and that somehow led me to brie and now I REALLY want some brie on a baguette. Anyone know what brands of brie are pasteurized? I've googled but I'm coming up empty handed.

migdala · March 2017

Literally just drove to Whole Foods to ask the cheese counter my question and it turns out all brie in america is pasteurized. Woooooooooooo

Maksim's Mom · March 2017

I wasn't worried about listeria until I googled it and it's side effects and how horrible it is!

now I'm scared and am microwaving my deli meats. I looove brie and so glad to know it's a-ok! Thanks @migdala

eve87-2 · March 2017

I didn't know you can't eat lunch meat????

jessafishy · March 2017

@Dobrovolskaya the risk of listeria is much higher with fresh fruits and veggies than with soft cheeses and deli meats.

Of course definitely do what makes you comfortable!

lovehorse77 · March 2017

Listeria also won't present symptoms for weeks after you ate the food, if I'm not mistaken.

eve87-2 · March 2017

There are way too many rules...

i know my mom didn't over think any of this and now I'm panicking because I ate lunch meat with my salads and feta cheese and all I can eat while pregnant is fruit and vegetables because meat makes me throw up

ezavasky · March 2017

I agree there are way too many rules.

But yes you can have feta if it's pasteurized, as well as if it's piping hot. I was so bummed at first b/c my husband and I have these spinach and feta salmon burgers from the seafood counter at the grocery store all the time and I thought I wouldn't be able to eat them for several months. When I read I could eat feta if it's hot, we had that for dinner the next night! I was so happy!

jessafishy · March 2017

@Eve87 There is absolutely no reason to panic. There is risk with absolutely everything in life. If your feta was pastuerized you are fine. If it makes you nervous just nuke your lunch meat in the microwave first and cook your fruits and veggies.

deadasthatsquirrel · March 2017

I highly recommend reading Expecting Better, as the author looks at the actual scientific evidence behind most common pregnancy do's and don'ts.

For example, she narrowed the massive list of "banned foods" down to:

Raw / rare meat and poultry (toxoplasmosis)
Unwashed vegetables and fruits (toxoplasmosis)
Queso fresco and other raw-milk cheeses (Listeria)
Deli turkey (Listeria)

And that's it!

migdala · March 2017

Stumbled across this article in NY Magazine this morning -- apparently there's been a listeria outbreak in a raw milk cheese brand (https://www.grubstreet.com/2017/03/whole-foods-recalls-more-jos-vulto-raw-cheeses.html). Thought of this thread!

supergluzie · March 2017

My go-to order at Starbucks is the spinach-feta wrap. I've eaten it for years without ever getting sick so I didn't think twice about having it for breakfast yesterday...

newtoo · March 2017

I was paranoid during my first pregnancy. I avoided EVERYTHING: deli meat, soft cheeses, hot dogs, bagged lettuce, etc. This time around, I'm not really worried about any of that stuff. Why? Because last time I was pregnant, I dealt with having eaten two food products that were a part of MASSIVE recalls due to the presence of listeria. One was ice cream and the other was hummus. Those things aren't even on the danger list. So after oppressive eating rules I still ended up eating crap that could've gotten me sick and hurt my pregnancy. It didn't happen though. Me and baby were fine. But I told myself to relax a little next time since I felt all my worrying and restriction didn't even wind up protecting me. That being said, everyone needs to do what makes them feel
comfortable. If eating the no no things makes you anxious, then avoid them. But I wouldn't worry too much about having had a little bit before you knew you weren't supposed to.

baker1jm2 · March 2017

Last pregnancy there were listeria outbreaks in cantaloupe, humus and ice cream. Listeria can happen in a lot of things and you can't avoid everything. Do what makes you comfortable.

rasmussanna · March 2017

This thread makes me feel a little better. The last 2 days I had turkey sandwiches from Jimmy Johns. I felt a little nervous but it's literally the only thing that has sounded good in weeks.

kimiekat44 · March 2017

I've read that all cheese sold in the U.S. has to be made with pasteurized milk. I looked into this so I could eat my queso fresco cheese. Just check the label for pasteurized milk and if it has that you should be fine!

natleilynn · March 2017

@rasmussanna my last pregnancy I was the same way - I could only get down turkey sandwiches. Sometimes I heated them up, sometimes I didn't.

And honestly, the way my doctor explained it to me - it's not that I *can't* eat any of the "restricted" items. It's more of, if I eat them and, heaven forbid, something IS wrong with them and I get sick - it's not even that it would affect the baby most of the time. It's just that they wouldn't be able to treat me normally so I might feel like crap longer/more intense. But as long as it won't hurt the baby, I was kind of willing to take my chances.

maliv · October 2020

Just be cautious about feta cheese. .....In terms of feta cheese pregnancy, expectant mothers should avoid it, if they are not certain that the factory making the cheese meets all sanitary conditions. ....... https://adatewithbaby.com/feta-cheese-during-pregnancy/

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