Food guide
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 at this age
6-12 months: Only heated until steaming hot - melted into scrambled egg, beans, or a warm vegetable dish. Not straight from the fridge. 12+ months: 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.
A note from the editors
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.
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.