is cheesecake OK?

[mgm]

My mum's ordered a cheesecake for a family lunch this weekend and my sister - 8 months pregnant - mentioned that she won't be able to eat it. Does anyone know whether cheesecake is generally OK, or if there's any difference in safety between baked and unbaked? I know cheese spread is fine and I'm pretty sure that's what cheesecake's usually made from...

Of course now that I'm thinking about cheesecake I'm desperate for a slice!

[Willow]

Oooh, I'll be watching this with interest because I've been dying for a piece of cheesecake for weeks but haven't been brave enough to eat it. I was thinking that baked cheesecake would be OK but then it's chilled again most of the time so I don't know?

I think it would also depend on the type of cheese used as you've said.

Here's hoping!

[LisaBear]

i have been eating cheesecake.
most cheeses in aus are pasteurised, and the labels on philly say that they use skim milk, which will be pasteurised...

just found this...
Do cottage cheese and philadelphia cheese fall into the category of soft cheese to be avoided during pregnancy?

Nuala's Reply:


Although both cottage cheese and philadelphia cheese are soft in texture, they are not classified as soft cheese. Cottage cheese is classified as a curd cheese and philadelphia is classified as a cream cheese. Both of these cheeses are safe to eat during pregnancy. However, they are not the best types to go for because they are both low in calcium.

The best advice regarding cheese choices during pregnancy is:


• Only choose cheese made from pasteurised milk.
• Opt for hard cheese such as cheddar, edam or gouda as they are the best sources of dietary calcium and the need for calcium increases by 50% in the second half of pregnancy.

Cheeses that are not recommended during pregnancy are soft cheeses such as blue cheese, brie cheese or camembert cheese. Also, any cheese made from unpasteurised milk is not recommended. Cheese made from unpasteurised milk, must state this on the label by law. If you are buying cheese from a delicatessen or cheese shop, the cheese may be cut from a large round of cheese and so there may not be a label on the piece you buy. In this case, always ask for confirmation that the cheese is made from pasteurised milk before making any purchase.

[{sarah}]

Posted by Cailin 2 years ago, this was in the archives

Ok when it comes to soft cheeses it goes like this...

Pasturised is ok...

I know the following cheeses are pasturised:

King Island ie. their brie, double & triple cream *homer drool*

Philidelphia spreadable and cream cheese in a block for making a cheesecake. So you can eat cheesecake providing it has been made with a pasturised cheese or is baked

Hope that makes sense, I went through my first pregnancy not eating anything and being rather glum about it all, you can imagine my relief excitement and suprise when I found out I could still have some things I just had to be picky

*hugs*
Cailin

*Edited to add: Some international cream cheeses aren't pasturised so please make sure you check the label before consumption

[MamaPan]

my OB said cheesecake is fine. and i would think baked would be even more fine than unbaked as it is cooked.

[mgm]

i'll take that as a general 'yes' - can't wait to get a piece! thanks everyone for your advice.

[LisaBear]

welcome!
enjoy!!!
im currently addicted to cheesecake shop choc chip one! yummo

[joralyd]

ohh cottage cheese is in?? ohh great I've been craving it and trying to resist the temptation, mmmmm and cheese cake too I'll have some of that DOH!

[muimuitsi]

I think a lot of ppl are worried about whether the cheese is pasturised but we have forgot another ingredients of cheesecake - EGGS! A lot of cheesecakes are made of raw eggs and I think we've got to be careful as they aren't recommended during pregnancy. I'd rather not to risk it.

[Life is Good]

I hope this doesn't sound like a hijacking, but this is another angle to consider with cheesecake and pregnancy:

It is all well and fine that the cheese used is pasturised. What confused me when I was pregnant is the whole "having to reheat leftover food to piping hot once it have been refrigerated". Because baked cheesecake is already cooked, but is left to cool (often for 2 days) before it is consumed, doesn't it fall into the risky "can't eat leftover refrigerated food" category?

It was this uncertainty and not the type of cheese used that put me off eating cheesecake while I was pregnant.