Personal reply from Gov website 'Eat Well' about their guidance on parmesan cheese...

[katemarie]

And this is what they said... (because I was mega confused as I ate some last week but it said 'unpasteurised' on the back, yet on the Eat Well website it says you are ok to eat it... this has reassured me now)

Thank you for your recent request for information regarding parmesan cheese. Your query has been passed to me for reply.

We would advise that hard cheeses such as parmesan are fine to consume whilst pregnant, whether they are unpasteurised or not. This is because the scientific literature has shown that Listeria is present in very low numbers (less than 1 bacterium per gram of cheese) in these types of cheeses and they are therefore not considered a risk to health during pregnancy. However, you should always follow any guidance provided by the manufacturer – if it states that it is unsuitable for pregnant women, this should be avoided.

I trust that you will find this information useful and that it answers your question.

Yours sincerely,

 

[windswept]

Phew - Parmesan is my guilty pleasure just now!

 

[Jeewizz]

Ah brilliant - thanks for posting this! I was also confused when I read it was unpasteurised on the pack - it's good news!

 

[katemarie]

No problem at all, its all a bit scary in the first trim so its nice to have one thing less to worry about and I do love my pasta!!

 

[garnetlady]

Oooh, thanks for this hon Here was me thinking I'd have to go without when we next go to the Italian!

 

[DINKS_2010]

Thanks for this, being first time I had to google what I can and can't have... Enjoying hard sliced cheese on rice crackers!

 

[span]

Thats good. I'd been eating loads of it until my midwife appointment on tuesday when she advised me not to! There is SO much conflicting advice when you are pregnant!

 

[fifi-folle]

Well done for taking the time to contact them, and thank you for sharing the reply received! Life without parmesan would be a bad thing