Is it really safe to eat soft cheeses while pregnant?

When I was pregnant, a colleague freaked out when someone passed me cheese during one of our company dinners. I didn't know then but pregnant women are advised not to eat any mould-ripened soft cheese such as brie, camembert, mould-ripened soft cheese made with goats' milk, and others with a similar rind. Soft blue-veined cheeses like Danish Blue should be avoided too. You should also avoid eating soft blue-veined cheeses, including: Soft cheeses like this are less acidic than hard cheeses and they contain more moisture. This means they can be an ideal environment for harmful bacteria, such as listeria, to grow in. Listeriosis infection is usually caused by eating food contaminated with listeria bacteria. Pregnant women are more at risk of getting listeriosis because of hormonal changes during pregnancy that weaken the immune system. Although infection with listeria is rare, it’s important to take special care during pregnancy. Even a mild form of the illness in a pregnant woman can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or severe illness in a newborn baby.