Blue cheese

Pasteurized blue cheese can be considered from 12 months at the earliest. Waiting through months 6 to 11 is wiser. In that stretch pick pasteurized ricotta, paneer, labneh, goat cheese, mascarpone, fresh mozzarella, emmental or swiss cheese instead.

What it is

Blue cheese is a large cheese family made by adding edible molds as the milk sets. The milk may come from cow, goat or sheep. Dorset Blue Vinny in England, Roquefort in France and queso de cabrales in Spain are examples. Flavors run from creamy and rich to salty and sharp.

Baking pasteurized blue cheese until its center reaches at least 165 F (74 C) lowers the illness risk by a wide margin. Before serving, consider your child's health, where the cheese came from and how it was stored. Pick out large firm blobs from melted cheese.

This kind of cheese is firm and can turn into a clump that is hard to chew. That is why it carries choking risk. Serve thin slices or small bits as the age cards describe.

Blue cheese is mostly made from cow's milk, a common allergen in young children. In the US about one in five childhood food allergies is to dairy. Sheep, goat and buffalo milk can trigger similar reactions. Most children outgrow milk allergy by age six. Many babies with mild milk protein allergy can bring milk back near their first birthday with a doctor's guidance.

Milk is also a cause of a delayed allergy called FPIES. A few hours after eating, repeated vomiting and diarrhea start, and without treatment fluid loss can follow. FPIES that begins early usually fades between ages 3 and 5.

Aged cheeses hold histamine, which can cause a rash in histamine-sensitive children. Lactose intolerance is uncommon in babies and toddlers. Aged cheeses are low in lactose and are often better tolerated.

If you suspect a milk allergy, see an allergist before offering cheese.