Is Blue Cheese Sauce Okay To Eat When Pregnant?

Pregnancy, especially if it's your first, can be the most exhilarating time of your life. However, it demands major changes in your lifestyle. The sheer number of new health considerations can be staggering. For example, many of your favorite foods may present risks when you are pregnant. Blue cheese is one food pregnant women should avoid.

Blue and Soft Cheeses

Blue cheeses are produced by inoculating a freshly-made cheese with desirable mold spores, or by aging the cheese in a facility that has a high population of those spores. Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Stilton and Danish blue are among the most common varieties. While these are safe to eat under normal circumstances, they present a risk of food-borne illness while you're pregnant because your immune system is not as robust as usual. Other soft cheeses, such as Brie and Camembert, or Mexican-style queso blanco also pose this risk as any of them might contain a potentially hazardous bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes.

Listeria and Listeriosis

Listeria monocytogenes is a common cause of food-borne illness. It's mainly found in processed meats, such as hot dogs and deli cold cuts, as well as in cheese and other dairy products. Listeriosis, the disease caused by the bacteria, is difficult to detect because of its long incubation period, which can range from one to 90 days. It usually shows flu-like symptoms, including fever, chills, diarrhea, upset stomach and stiff, sore muscles. Serious cases can spread to the nervous system, causing headaches, confusion or even convulsions.

Listeriosis and Pregnancy

Listeriosis is seldom a dangerous illness for healthy women in their prime. However, pregnant women represent a high-risk group just as the elderly or the chronically ill. Pregnancy depresses your body's immune system, leaving you less able to fight an infection. More importantly, listeria bacteria can cross the placenta to infect your unborn infant. Among pregnant women who contract listeriosis, about one in five will lose her baby to a miscarriage or stillbirth. It can also cause premature delivery, which can lead to long-term health problems in your child.

Cooked Sauces and Other Alternatives

Like most other bacteria, Listeria can be killed by temperatures of 170 degrees Fahrenheit. If you're partial to blue cheese sauce, use an instant-read thermometer to ensure it reaches that temperature. After cooking, it's safe for immediate consumption, but don't eat any leftovers. It's also prudent not to eat a blue cheese sauce made by someone else, who might not have raised it to the necessary safe temperature. For salad dressings and other blue cheese recipes, substitute strongly flavored hard cheeses such as Parmesan or feta instead.