Woman refused cheese at supermarket because she’s pregnant
Mum-to-be forced to lie simply to buy Cheddar!
A pregnant woman who tried to buy some Cheddar cheese over the counter at Sainsbury’s was told she wasn’t allowed to eat it.
Janet Lehain, who is pregnant with her third child, was forced to lie and promise the shopkeeper she wouldn’t eat the Cheddar cheese before they would sell it to her.
The member of staff said pregnant women weren’t supposed to eat cheese made from unpasteurised milk, but Sainsbury’s bosses have now admitted she got it wrong. The Food Standards Agency advises mums-to be to avoid eating unpasteurised soft cheeses, such as Brie and soft blue cheeses, during pregnancy but hard cheeses such as cheddar are safe even if they’re unpasteurised.
The shopkeeper working at a Bedfordshire branch of Sainsbury’s eventually allowed Janet to buy the cheese.
“How ridiculous that I had to openly lie in order to buy a piece of cheese! The member of staff told me how lucky my generation of pregnant women are to have such information available to them because this wasn’t the case in her day,” said Janet.
A spokesman for Sainsbury’s said, “Our colleague made a mistake. Unpasterurised Cheddar doesn’t pose a risk to health during pregnancy.”
If you’re confused about what’s safe to eat when you’re pregnant, take a look at our guide to healthy nutrition for you and your bump.