queso_fresco
Queso fresco and other fresh soft cheeses - queso blanco, requesón, panela - should be heated before being given to a young child, even when made with pasteurized milk. These cheeses are repeatedly linked to listeria outbreaks, and heating them until steaming makes them safe.
How to serve
Only heated until steaming hot - melted into scrambled egg, beans, or a warm vegetable dish. Not straight from the fridge.
Same rule - heat until steaming, then crumble into warm food. Let it cool before serving.
Nutrition
A good source of calcium and protein, with a mild flavour most children accept easily.
Good to know
Dairy is a common allergen. Choose pasteurized and always heat fresh soft cheeses until steaming before serving them to a child under 5 - unheated queso fresco-type cheeses are a listeria risk even when pasteurized.
Contains: dairy
Tip
Heating to steaming hot is what removes the risk, so stirring it into a hot dish works perfectly. Cold crumbled queso fresco on top of a finished plate does not.
