I know blue veined stilton is a big no-no in pregnancy but what about white stilton with apricots?

[MadamAdams]

I've had cravings for white stilton with apricots over the past few days but i'm unsure if its safe to eat or not. As its not got the blue veins in it I looked up how it was made and it seems its made in a different way to regular stilton. So, is it safe to eat in pregnancy or is it better being avoided?

[joda]

On this one i'm not sure, maybe ask your midwife? Mine just told me to avoid all soft cheeses so I would avoid it but I'm not craving it so ask or look on the nhs website to see if safe x

[Hidden]

The advice I got from my midwife is that it is OK to eat soft cheeses for as long as they are pasteurised.

[Hidden]

Hi there!

The NHS website actually suggests that blue vein Stilton is fine to eat. All hard cheeses should be fine - I would include white Stilton in this too.

If you check the NHS website and still don't feel reassured I'm sure your midwife would be happy to confirm for you.

[hannah_fraser]

Just avoid anything with unpastereurised milk. A warning that includes parmasean, it nearly caught me out yesterday!!

[Armywag]

From the NHS website:

Cheeses to avoid:

Don't eat mould-ripened soft cheese, such as brie and camembert whether it's made with cows' or goats' milk. You should also avoid soft blue-veined cheeses, such as:

Danish blue

gorgonzola

roquefort

This is because soft cheeses are less acidic than hard cheeses and they contain more moisture, which means they can be an ideal environment for harmful bacteria, such as listeria, to grow in.

Although infection with listeria (listeriosis) is rare, it is important to take special precautions in pregnancy because even a mild form of the illness in a pregnant woman can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or severe illness in a newborn baby.

Hard cheeses that are safe to eat:

You can eat hard cheeses such as cheddar, parmesan and stilton, even if they're made with unpasteurised milk. Hard cheeses don't contain as much water as soft cheeses so bacteria are less likely to grow in them. It is possible for hard cheese to contain listeria, but the risk is considered to be low.

Soft cheeses that are safe to eat:

Many soft types of cheese are OK to eat, but make sure they're made from pasteurised milk. These include:

cottage cheese

mozzarella

feta

cream cheese

paneer

ricotta

halloumi

goats' cheese

processed cheeses such as cheese spreads

But if you don't feel comfortable eating certain things that are supposed to be safe - don't. Cheese is my downfall (and cakes) I can just stuff my face on them x

[hannah_fraser]

Oh fab! I just saw the unpasteurised note on it last night and panicked

[MadamAdams]

Thanks for the input ladies, I've actually emailed the british cheese board as if anyone knows, they should! I'll let you know when I get a response from them