Comments on: Pregnant Cheese Lovers! http://blog.artisanalcheese.com/cheese_news/for-the-pregnant-cheese-lovers The Official Artisanal Premium Cheese Blog Sun, 11 Mar 2012 20:22:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: ezekial http://blog.artisanalcheese.com/cheese_news/for-the-pregnant-cheese-lovers#comment-82285 ezekial Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:47:14 +0000 http://blog.artisanalcheese.com/cheese_news/for-the-pregnant-cheese-lovers#comment-82285 in response to laurie's post, if you are supposed to avoid soft cheeses altogether, it doesn't matter whether or not its raw or pastuerized and for the record listeriosis is "omnipresent" in the air, so technically any poorly handled food especially one with high moisture is susceptible to listeriosis. Research has shown raw milk cheeses, hard and soft have a natural line of defense against listeriosis, so if you intend on eating pastuerized cheese, you should know your risk level is actually higher than if you consume raw milk cheeses. You can reference "the cheese room" and any number of online resources. in response to laurie’s post, if you are supposed to avoid soft cheeses altogether, it doesn’t matter whether or not its raw or pastuerized and for the record listeriosis is “omnipresent” in the air, so technically any poorly handled food especially one with high moisture is susceptible to listeriosis. Research has shown raw milk cheeses, hard and soft have a natural line of defense against listeriosis, so if you intend on eating pastuerized cheese, you should know your risk level is actually higher than if you consume raw milk cheeses. You can reference “the cheese room” and any number of online resources.

]]> By: Denver Popelka http://blog.artisanalcheese.com/cheese_news/for-the-pregnant-cheese-lovers#comment-80541 Denver Popelka Sat, 13 Mar 2010 18:04:02 +0000 http://blog.artisanalcheese.com/cheese_news/for-the-pregnant-cheese-lovers#comment-80541 . . .there's so many varying, it's great nice to see someone with knowledge about healthy pregnancies post good useful information. Keep up the good work! Cheers . . .there’s so many varying, it’s great nice to see someone with knowledge about healthy pregnancies post good useful information.

Keep up the good work!

Cheers

]]> By: Damian http://blog.artisanalcheese.com/cheese_news/for-the-pregnant-cheese-lovers#comment-73375 Damian Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:27:56 +0000 http://blog.artisanalcheese.com/cheese_news/for-the-pregnant-cheese-lovers#comment-73375 Yes, standard advice, over here in the UK at least, is to avoid blue, bloom-ripened (which is what I assume Laurie means by 'soft', e.g. Brie, Camembert) or washed-rind cheeses, regardless of pasteurisation. Whether or not hard raw-milk cheeses are ok still seems up for debate. Logic dictates that, as Laurie says, they should be safe as bacteria cannot grow inside the cheese. Nonetheless, I work in a cheesemongers and we are still required to advise customers to stick with pasteurised milk cheeses. Of course, it's only advice at the end of the day, but we can't say 'it's almost certainly safe', even if it is... In addition to that, I'd note that while some of the cheeses you've listed above will be pasteurised in North America in order to get through your import laws, many of those same cheeses can be sold unpasteurised in Europe, particularly if they are from artisan cheesemakers rather than mass-produced supermarket varieties. Your best bet if unsure what's what is simply to ask when you buy. Most specialist cheesemongers or quality food shops should be able to advise you. Cheers! Damian Yes, standard advice, over here in the UK at least, is to avoid blue, bloom-ripened (which is what I assume Laurie means by ‘soft’, e.g. Brie, Camembert) or washed-rind cheeses, regardless of pasteurisation.

Whether or not hard raw-milk cheeses are ok still seems up for debate. Logic dictates that, as Laurie says, they should be safe as bacteria cannot grow inside the cheese. Nonetheless, I work in a cheesemongers and we are still required to advise customers to stick with pasteurised milk cheeses. Of course, it’s only advice at the end of the day, but we can’t say ‘it’s almost certainly safe’, even if it is…

In addition to that, I’d note that while some of the cheeses you’ve listed above will be pasteurised in North America in order to get through your import laws, many of those same cheeses can be sold unpasteurised in Europe, particularly if they are from artisan cheesemakers rather than mass-produced supermarket varieties.

Your best bet if unsure what’s what is simply to ask when you buy. Most specialist cheesemongers or quality food shops should be able to advise you.

Cheers!

Damian

]]> By: Laurie http://blog.artisanalcheese.com/cheese_news/for-the-pregnant-cheese-lovers#comment-65985 Laurie Thu, 21 Jan 2010 05:43:05 +0000 http://blog.artisanalcheese.com/cheese_news/for-the-pregnant-cheese-lovers#comment-65985 I don't agree with the above post. Soft, washed rind and blue cheeses should all be avoided whether they are pasteurised or NOT. These types of cheese are susceptible to post-pasteurisation contamination, or if the pasteurisation process was faulty. Hard cheeses, whether pasteurised or not, have been shown to be safe as they are an inhospitable environment for bacteria to grow. You mention that listeria can survive in some raw milk soft cheeses - wouldn't it make sense to identify these? (despite the fact that they are unavailable in the US). Regards, Laurie I don’t agree with the above post. Soft, washed rind and blue cheeses should all be avoided whether they are pasteurised or NOT. These types of cheese are susceptible to post-pasteurisation contamination, or if the pasteurisation process was faulty.
Hard cheeses, whether pasteurised or not, have been shown to be safe as they are an inhospitable environment for bacteria to grow.
You mention that listeria can survive in some raw milk soft cheeses – wouldn’t it make sense to identify these? (despite the fact that they are unavailable in the US).

Regards,

Laurie

]]>