Can you eat queso fresco when pregnant

This study found that Listeria was able to grow during storage at refrigeration temperatures, and not even the lowest temperature of 5 degrees Celsius was able to prevent its growth. According to the CDC, 8 food borne outbreaks have been associated with Listeria contamination in cheese from to The cheese products implicated in these outbreaks include quesarito fresh cheese , soft raw milk cheese, and queso fresco.

Moreover, according to the National Outbreak Reporting System NORS , 5 outbreaks, 46 illnesses, 34 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths have been associated with ingestion of contaminated queso fresco in the United States from to Flynn et al. According to the CDC, pregnant women can lower their risk of getting listeriosis by not eating soft cheeses, including queso fresco, unless they were made with pasteurized milk.

Pasteurization is the process of heating milk long enough and to a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria like Listeria. However, even soft cheeses made from pasteurized milk have been reported to cause listeriosis. Pregnant women, who are at higher risk for listeriosis, should remember that soft cheeses made with raw milk, or even those made with pasteurized milk but under unsanitary conditions, have been reported to cause severe illness Gould et al.

These soft cheeses include queso fresco CDC, Majority of the queso served in American-Mexican restaurants are pasteurized. But because Mexican queso is traditionally made with raw milk, it would be prudent to ask the ingredients to be sure. Pregnant women can also reheat their fresh queso and queso dip to kill any bacteria that may be present. When in doubt, it is best to avoid ordering and eating queso dishes.

Other public health agencies, such as the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the Public Health Agency of Canada, recommend that all persons considered as high-risk of developing listeriosis should avoid consumption of all soft cheeses Gould et al. Consuming only pasteurized queso fresco, queso blanco and queso dips can lower the risk of listeriosis during pregnancy.

Stay clear from queso made with raw milk as there is a high risk of contamination with Listeria, which can be very dangerous for unborn babies. Then again, even pasteurized products of queso can still be contaminated if they were processed under unsanitary conditions.

The only way to eliminate this risk a hundred percent is to stay clear from eating any queso dish throughout pregnancy.

Remember that it is not worth risking the life of your baby for some food craving. After your pregnancy, you can go back to eating all the kinds of cheese that you love. Talk to your doctor to know which kinds of cheese are safe and which are best for you to avoid. What are the Different Queso Cheeses?

Queso Fresco and Queso Blanco. Queso Dips. Salsa Con Queso. A year review: Microbiology and safety of milk handling. Journal of Dairy Science 12 , Vital signs: Listeria illnesses, deaths, and outbreaks: United States, Journal of Food Protection 71 8 , Evaluation of lactose oxidase as an enzyme-based antimicrobial for control of L.

Foods 10 7 , Outbreaks attributed to cheese: Differences between outbreaks caused by unpasteurized and pasteurized dairy products, United States, Foodborne Pathogens and Disease 11 7 , What is new in listeriosis? BioMed Research International , Lumbar and sacral brucellosis due to queso fresco ingestion.

Journal of Surgical Case Reports 2 , rjaa Listeriosis in human pregnancy: A systematic review. Journal of Perinatal Medicine 39 3 , Department of Health and Human Services. People at Risk: Pregnant Women. Listeria Listeriosis : Prevention. Listeriosis Outbreaks Associated with Soft Cheeses transcript.

British Heart Foundation. Mayo Clinic. Pregnancy diet: Focus on these essential nutrients. Department of Agriculture. My Plate: Dairy. Guide to Inspections of Dairy Product Manufacturers. Iowa Department of Public Health. The secret to serving size is in your hand. Join now to personalize. Photo credit: iStock. Can pregnant women eat cheese? Which cheese is best when pregnant? Cheese to avoid when pregnant. The following soft commercial cheeses are generally always made with pasteurized milk and considered safe: cream cheese cottage cheese processed mozzarella These common soft cheeses are sometimes raw, so look for the "pasteurized" label on: goat cheese blue cheese feta cheese camembert brie ricotta cheese If you're at a restaurant and can't check the label, know that it's safe to eat any cheese that's been heated until it's steaming hot — for instance, cheese on a pizza or in a grilled-cheese sandwich.

Cheese to avoid when pregnant When you're pregnant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC recommends avoiding unpasteurized soft cheese, raw milk, unpasteurized yogurt, and unpasteurized ice cream. Sources BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. Colleen de Bellefonds. Featured video. Is it safe to eat meat while pregnant? Is it safe to drink raw milk during pregnancy? Don Francisco Queso Fresco, Panela, Fresco Michoacano, etc are also produced under the same strict hygiene conditions.

With independent cheese producers, you need to check the label to make sure the milk has been pasteurized. This is a problem especially in the Hispanic community where people may use raw milk to make their own queso fresco, without realizing they may be putting the life of an unborn child at risk Source: FDA.

If you are at a local market and are offered typical queso cheese in a banana or corn leaf, it may look tempting, but do ask if the milk has been pasteurized. Most restaurant chains and commercial brands use pasteurized milk for their queso fresco and this is safe during pregnancy. There are approximately 1, cases of listeriosis per year in the United States, with only one in seven cases occurring in pregnant women.

If you have eaten queso fresco and you think it might not have been pasteurized, and if you have a fever or any flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, muscle aches , consult your health professional immediately to be on the safe side.

All in all, you can enjoy most queso fresco or queso dips while pregnant as long as the milk has been pasteurized. This article has been reviewed and approved for publication in line with our editorial policy. Gina is the owner and founder of Pregnancy Food Checker. If you find yourself craving Mexican food during pregnancy, you're not alone.