Camembert cheese

Hold off on pasteurized camembert until your child turns 12 months. Camembert and other soft, mold-ripened cheeses increase the chance of foodborne illness, and babies handle the symptoms less well. If pasteurized camembert is baked until the center is 165 F (74 C) or hotter, this risk drops sharply.

No age counts as safe for unpasteurized camembert. You have to weigh the risk and make a personal choice.

Camembert takes its name from a small village in Normandy. It can be made from pasteurized milk too. Camembert earns the official appellation d'origine contrôlée label, which guarantees authenticity, only if Normandy farms make it from the raw milk of Normandy cows. Imported cheese in the United States must be pasteurized and aged at least 60 days, which is why pasteurized camembert is common there.

6 to 11 months

Because of the foodborne illness risk, consider waiting until your child is older. For a small taste anyway, use pasteurized camembert baked until its middle reaches 165 F (74 C) or higher. Spread the soft center thinly on a well-toasted bread strip and serve it once cool.

12 months and older

Think over your child's risk factors first, like health and medical conditions. Once you decide to go ahead, give a thin slice or bite-sized pieces. A thin spread on a soft cracker or piece of bread works. You can lower the risk further by picking pasteurized camembert and baking it to 165 F (74 C) or higher.

Safety

Pasteurized cheese for an older child can be safe. Unpasteurized camembert raises the risk of foodborne illness a great deal at any age. Raw cheese carries a particular risk of salmonellosis and listeriosis. These are harmful bacterial infections at any age, and symptoms can be worse in babies.

Camembert is not very firm, but it is sticky and clumps in the mouth, which raises the choking risk. Prepare it for your child's age and stay with your child during meals.

Camembert is made from cow's milk, a common allergen. Milk accounts for about one in five childhood food allergies. Goat and sheep milk products can cause similar reactions.

Milk allergy often fades with time. Most children with cow's milk allergy outgrow it by age 6. Many babies with mild symptoms can reintroduce milk around their first birthday with a doctor's guidance.

Milk can cause food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES). It is a delayed allergy. A few hours after eating, repeated vomiting and diarrhea start suddenly. Left untreated, it can cause serious dehydration. Lactose intolerance can be mistaken for allergy, but it is a different condition.

If you suspect a milk allergy, see an allergist before serving cheese. Offer a small amount alone for the first few meals. If there is no reaction, increase gradually.