Cheese as a Baby Food

• Cheese packs within it a combination of protein, calcium, fat, and some critical vitamins such as Vitamin D and A. As a result, cheese is a nutritious food source for infants. However, because babies have no idea how to regulate their eating and intake, solid cheese provides a risk of choking. Additionally, for babies who are lactose intolerant, cheese may trigger an allergy reaction. Thus consumption of cheese should be carefully tested before allowing a baby to outright eat the food.
  
  

U.S. Regulatory Advice

• Health agencies in the U.S. recommend waiting until a baby is close to one year of development before introducing cheese. While the health benefits noted provide great growing material for an infant, a baby needs to get used to chewing and processing semi-solid food first. Any cheese offered to a baby should also be pasteurized as the infant's immune system tends to not be fully developed in the first year.
  
  

Cheeses to Avoid

• Cheeses that include the potential to create problems for newborns include those that age to develop their unique tastes. Brie, Spanish white cheese, Gorgonzola and others all come with inherent risks because of bacteria used in the cheesemaking process. Adult digestive systems can easily handle this risk, but babies are not so robust.
  
  

Managing Cheese Storage

• Keep cheese intended for your baby it in a refrigerator when not being eaten. Additionally, the cheese should be wrapped in aluminum foil rather than plastic bags, including zipped baggies. This avoids potential chemical contamination from the plastic into the cheese, which could impact early baby development.