Are Gouda, Gruyère, and Jarlsberg safe to eat when pregnant?
What are the rules around Dutch and Scandinavian cheeses such as Gouda, Jarlsberg, Leerdammer, Edam, Port Salut and Gruyère during pregnancy?
In a nutshell
Yes, these continental cheeses are safe to eat when you're pregnant.
The expert view
Going away to the Netherlands, Switzerland, or even Scandinavia? Then your breakfast buffet will most likely be overflowing with an array of sliced cheeses or chunks from a wheel, from the mild and rubbery to the aged and holey.
So how do you know whether they are safe to eat when you’re pregnant?
Well, the good news is that cheeses like Gouda, Gruyère and Jarlsberg are classed as hard cheeses, which are considered safe by the NHS to enjoy during pregnancy. They are also a great source of calcium – which is needed to help build strong bones and teeth.
These kinds of cheeses are safe to eat, even if they are made with unpasteurised milk – which many of them are.
These cheeses include:
- Edam
- Emmental
- Gouda
- Gruyère
- Jarlsberg
- Maasdam (Leerdammer)
- Parmesan
- Port Salut
"There are so many different varieties of cheese available now that it is not always easy to know what is and isn’t safe," acknowledges our nutritionist Dr Rana Conway. "But Edam and similar cheeses such as Leerdammer and Port Salut, which are essentially hard but often have a slightly rubbery texture, are safe to eat in pregnancy."
Find out about eating other types of cheese in pregnancy:
Are mozzarella, halloumi and feta safe in pregnancy?
What are the rules on cottage cheese. cream cheese and ricotta when I'm pregnant?
Authors
Magda Ibrahim is a freelance writer who has written for publications including The Times and Sunday Times, The Sun, Time Out, and the London Evening Standard, as well for MadeForMums.
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