Can you eat nabulsi cheese while pregnant?
Check firstOnly if pasteurized or fried hot. Nabulsi is a semi-soft brined cheese, so it can carry Listeria unless it is made from pasteurized milk or cooked until steaming hot.
Why
Nabulsi is a moist, brine-stored white cheese, and the CDC and FDA both flag soft and semi-soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk as a Listeria risk for pregnant people, since Listeria survives refrigeration and brine. Pasteurized nabulsi from a supermarket or a labeled tin is fine to eat as is. If the cheese came from a dairy, market stall, or relative with no pasteurization label, pan-fry or grill it until it is steaming hot all the way through, which is how nabulsi is most often served anyway.
Safer alternatives
- Pasteurized halloumi, fried until golden
- Tinned pasteurized nabulsi from a supermarket
- Pasteurized akkawi, rinsed and pan-seared
- Aged cheddar or Parmigiano-Reggiano for a cold plate
Sources
- CDC https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/prevention/index.html
- FDA https://www.fda.gov/food/people-risk-foodborne-illness/ready-eat-foods-food-safety-moms-be
Every verdict follows our sourcing methodology: official health guidelines only, most cautious position when they differ.
Last reviewed by the pregAI editorial team.
Frequently asked questions
Is fried nabulsi safe while pregnant?
Yes. Frying or grilling nabulsi until it is steaming hot throughout kills Listeria, which is exactly what the CDC advises for soft cheeses of uncertain origin. Eat it while it is still hot rather than letting it cool on the counter.
What about nabulsi in knafeh or sweet pastries?
Knafeh is baked, so the cheese inside is heated through and the Listeria risk is handled. The thing to check is that it is served hot or freshly baked rather than sitting out at room temperature for hours.
How do I know if my nabulsi is pasteurized?
Look for the word pasteurized on the tin, tub, or vacuum pack, since most commercially exported nabulsi is pasteurized. Cheese bought loose from a dairy counter or brought from abroad without labeling should be treated as unpasteurized and cooked.
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