Mel,
The what you can eat thing is a bit of a minefield isn't it. ANZFAS has all the information, but even that can take a bit of deciphering...

The reason for the soft cheese thing is that the Listeria bacteria likes to grow in the moist soft cheese environment.

As for Parmesan it is a hard cheese and as long as it is Australian it is safe to eat. Some imported hard cheeses are not pasturised. As a rule of thumb 'they' say you should steer clear of all unpasturised products.

Ricotta and feta are advised as a no go zone. Often they are made from unpasturised milk. Even if they are not they have the 'potential' to grow the bacteria Listeria. (remembering that Listeria doesn't just grow on dairy products it likes the moist environment of pre prepared salads etc too)

I spoke to ANZFAS (there is a 1800 #) a couple of years ago when I was pregnant and a friend told me Listeria can grow in rice (as in nori rolls). I was told by this spokes person that Listeria potentially grows in all soft cheeses, it is especially likely with cheeses that have the mould covering such as Brie and Cammembert. Feta and Ricotta I was also advised not to eat. All of these products can be eaten if cooked and served piping hot.
So, anything you would put in a lasagne would be fine as you cook it and eat it hot...


I am very careful with what I eat as I think it is always better to be safe than sorry but I think we need to remember that Listeria infection is quite rare. It does happen so we need to be careful but it is something that doesn't happen very often. (maybe that is because we are all so careful, who knows?). Eleven years ago when I was pregnant with Ruby I ate truckloads of Brie (I couldn't get enough!). I had feta cheese in my salads at least 3 times a week! Back then it wasn't really as understood. I was never told not to eat soft cheeses and we were living in a culture that cheese was a huge part of the diet.

If you have a look at the deli at the supermarket you can see why there is the potential for bacteria risks. I have seen staff handle the bacon and then the olives, so potentially transfer anything that was growing, not to mention the raw meat to a food you eat out of the container. As for those salad bars, I have always thought they were a bit ordinary and you may have heard up here in Qld this week a woman was arrested for poisoning the salad bar at Sizzler with rat poison - very scary!

To the best of my knowledge what I have said is accurate but let me know if you hear otherwise. Attitudes and opinions change all of the time. I know the other thing that you should stay away from is chilled seafood, like cold cooked prawns and smoked salmon (not from a tin but the fillets you can buy in a packet).

Looks like it's just vegemite sangers for us for a while!

Love to you,
Deb