Can Pregnant Women Eat Goat Cheese?

Three types of cheese are considered safe to consume during pregnancy due to the low risk of food poisoning:

1. Hard goat cheese: Hard goat cheese contains a small amount of moisture, making it suitable for pregnant women. Because of the low moisture content in hard cheese, harmful bacteria cannot thrive, and thus there is a very little risk of contamination. Hard cheese, made from pasteurized and unpasteurized milk, is considered safe to consume during pregnancy.
2. Pasteurized goat cheese: Pasteurized cheese of any variety is considered safe during pregnancy, except for those that have surface ripening. Pasteurization is the process of killing bacteria, yeast, and mold found in raw milk.
3. Sheep's milk cheese: Cheese made from sheep's milk, such as feta and halloumi, is considered safe during pregnancy. This is primarily due to the way it is made. Feta cheese has high salt content, whereas halloumi cheese has a semi-hard brined consistency that is safe during pregnancy because bacteria contamination is less likely in this variety.

Given their potential to spread food-borne sickness, some goat cheese varieties are best avoided during pregnancy.

Because soft cheese is prepared from raw, unpasteurized milk, which has a higher risk of bacterial contamination, it is typically regarded as dangerous during pregnancy.

Pregnant women are advised to avoid consuming white rind cheese—a type of soft goat cheese, which is also known as chevre. Similar to brie and camembert cheese, which can lead to listeriosis, chevre is a form of goat cheese that has undergone mold ripening.

In actuality, it is advised against eating any type of cheese during pregnancy that has matured on the outside or become moldy.

The main listeria-related risk associated with consuming raw milk goat cheese is listeriosis. It may result in blood infection and meningitis, as well as mild flu-like symptoms and fever.

If you choose safe goat cheese, eating it during pregnancy is not harmful. Consider some of the advantages of consuming pasteurized goat-milk-based safe cheese during pregnancy.

• It is a great way to get a lot of calcium and is great for building strong bones.
• Goat cheese has a significantly lower fat level than other types of cheese. 
• Goat cheese is easier to digest than other types of cheese.
• Goat cheese consists of a considerable number of minerals, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, phosphorous, selenium, copper, and iron, which are very helpful during pregnancy.
• The high protein content of goat cheese is excellent for a baby's development.
• It also includes a variety of good fats, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, and medium-chain triglycerides.
• It promotes intestinal health.
• Additionally, it contains several antioxidants that support heart health by battling free radicals.

Some dangerous types of cheese, including brie, blue cheese, and soft cheese, can be baked or grilled to make them safe for ingestion.

Eating pizza with cheese as a topping is regarded as safe while expecting (as long as the cheese is thoroughly heated and not merely warm). Pizza consumption is safe during pregnancy because it is served hot straight from the oven.

Choose a safe variety of goat cheese and eat it grilled. During pregnancy, you are permitted to occasionally consume a grilled cheese sandwich.

Choosing the best goat cheese for pregnant women

Goat cheese must be purchased in hard form if you want to consume it during pregnancy. By looking at the contents on the label, you may determine while grocery shopping whether the item is safe to eat.

You should not eat anything that is labeled "au lait cru" or "made from raw milk." If it reads "produced from pasteurized milk," then you can buy it, provided it is free of mold.

Selenium, an essential trace mineral that is more frequently found in seafood, is found in goat cheese in good amounts. Selenium lowers your risk of diseases such as cancer, thyroid illness, and cardiovascular disease by assisting your body in the breakdown of free radicals.

Moreover, goat cheese includes:

• Potassium
• Zinc
• Magnesium
• Calcium
• Phosphorous

A one-ounce serving of goat cheese (what you might typically put in a salad) contains:

Goat cheese contains considerable amounts of calories and fat. To prevent weight gain, you should still eat it in moderation.