For anyone who is not sure, Burrata cheese is a fresh Italian cheese that contains cream and shreds of mozzarella. This particular cheese has been very difficult to categorize as safe or not safe to eat when pregnant.
So to help you decide we have put together a complete guide to Burrata cheese and what to look for in order to enjoy this delicious cheese safely while pregnant.
In this article
Can I Eat Burrata Cheese When Pregnant?
It depends. Most burrata cheese made in the USA includes pasteurized ingredients so this is perfectly safe to consume while you are pregnant.
But outside the USA, this may not be the case and there is a greater chance of your burrata cheese being made with unpasteurized ingredients. Although even then the chances are very small as most producers do not use raw milk.
Is Burrata Cheese Considered A Soft Cheese?
Pregnant women should avoid soft cheeses due to the risk that they may be contaminated with listeria. Mold-ripened soft cheese such as brie, camembert, and chevre which is a type of goat’s cheese should not be eaten while pregnant.
You should also avoid soft blue-veined cheese such as Danish blue or gorgonzola.
For pregnancy safety, burrata is safe to eat as long as it is made using pasteurized milk. Burrata also contains cream and this should also be pasteurized or ultra-heat treated (UHT) to ensure that it is safe to consume while you are pregnant.
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Is Burrata Cheese Pasteurized?
Burrata is a typical product of the Murgia region in the south of Italy
In November 2016 ‘Burrata di Andria’ became a protected geographical indication product. But despite this Burrata cheese can be made anywhere and there is nothing in place to state that it has to be made in Italy.
There are also no rules in place stating that it has to be made with pasteurized milk or cream. It is completely up to the producers of the individual burrata cheese.
With this in mind, it does mean that burrata cheese may be pasteurized or it may not be pasteurized in Italy. Or any other country that has the option to use unpasteurized milk and cream.
If you are eating burrata abroad it would be safest to check with restaurants, stores, etc.
A good point to note is that burrata cheese produced in the USA is always made using pasteurized ingredients as stated by FDA rules and means that it should normally be safe for pregnant women to consume.
What About Cooked Burrata?
Most commonly burrata cheese is eaten fresh in salads, or as an appetizer, but it can also be consumed in other ways.
If you are consuming burrata in a cooked form then this is perfectly safe to eat during pregnancy. This is due to the fact that the cooking process kills most bacteria, including listeria.
The only issue with cooking burrata is that it doesn’t taste as good when it’s cooked.
If you have any doubts about any cheese you are wanting to eat while you are pregnant. You could always cook them until they are steaming hot as this will kill off any bacteria.
Smoked burrata can be eaten while you are pregnant as long as it has been made using pasteurized milk and cream.
Smoking is not like cooking as it does not cook the cheese thoroughly enough and so makes no difference to the safety of the cheese. When eating this type of burrata cheese it is the ingredients that will count, and they have to be pasteurized in order to be safe.
Some Safe Burrata Brands
There is a wide range of burrata brands available to you while you are shopping. In order to make it a little easier for you to identify those brands that are safe for you to consume while you are pregnant, we have put together a list.
Our list consists of those brands that use pasteurized milk and cream in the making of their burrata cheese.
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Here are the USA & Canadian brands that use pasteurized ingredients in their burrata:
- Vanata
- Belgiogioso
- Gioia
- Di Stefano
- Lioni
- Calabro
- Deca & Otto
What To Know When Buying Burrata Cheese?
- If burrata is made fresh it should be eaten within 48 hours. Freshly made burrata should be eaten as soon as possible after it is manufactured.
- If you are buying commercially made burrata or from your store, always ensure that you eat it before the ‘use by’ date.
- If you are purchasing artisan or fresh burrata from a deli, ensure that it has protective packaging in order to prevent cross-contamination.
- Burrata cheese doesn’t travel well
FAQs
What do I do if I accidentally eat Burrata while pregnant?
The vast majority of commercially made burrata cheese is made from pasteurized milk, particularly if you are outside of Europe.
However, if you are enjoying fresh burrata cheese in Italy then there is a very small chance that you may have consumed burrata made with unpasteurized milk – this is just to be safe.
Can you eat mozzarella while pregnant?
As we have said earlier, the pasteurization process virtually eliminates harmful bacteria, mozzarella that is made from pasteurized milk is fine to consume during pregnancy, both cooked and in its fresh, uncooked form.
There is still only a very small chance of this happening as most producers don’t use raw milk in their products.
But if you have any doubts the best thing that you can do is to monitor yourself for any symptoms of foodborne illness that are out of the ordinary for you.
If you feel unwell, have an upset tummy, sickness, or diarrhea then contact a health professional and advice them that there is a chance that you have eaten an unpasteurized product. This is just to be on the safe side.
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The Final Thought
Burrata cheese is delicious and while you are pregnant there is no reason that you can not continue to enjoy it as long as you take some precautions.
Ensuring that you are purchasing and consuming burrata that is made from pasteurized ingredients will help to ensure that your risk of becoming sick is negligible.
The chances of you actually eating unpasteurized burrata, especially in the USA, is basically nonexistent due to FDA guidelines.
The best advice is to ensure that you have taken the correct steps so that you can be sure that the burrata cheese you are eating is pasteurized and enjoy it!
