Eating deli meats during pregnancy: Is it safe?

Eating meat during pregnancy is very nutritious, and pregnant women need extra iron and protein to keep themselves and their babies alive. This may be why many expectant parents end up craving meat. But can you eat cooked meat during pregnancy? While most types of meat are safe to eat during pregnancy, it is generally recommended to avoid deli meat (sometimes called lunch meat).

That’s because deli meats are a potential source of listeria, a bacteria that can pose serious risks to pregnant women and their growing babies. “Listeria… can be killed by cooking and pasteurization, but sometimes people who eat deli meats can become infected with Listeria, which can be very dangerous during pregnancy,” said the Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology at Orlando Health Women’s Institute. Obstetrician-gynecologist Christine Greves explains.

Listeria problems are real and you should take them seriously, but that doesn’t mean you have to completely give up on your turkey or bologna sandwich cravings. Here, we’ll review everything you need to know about deli meats during pregnancy, including risks, misconceptions, and most importantly: how to eat them safely.

Risks of eating deli meats during pregnancy

Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend avoiding certain high-risk foods during pregnancy. “Cold or deli meats are one of the foods to avoid,” said Katherine Schlafer, MD, assistant program director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She added that the recommendations still stand whether they are present or not. Listeria issue or recall.

So what are the risks of Listeria infection from deli meats? Listeria is a bacterium that causes food poisoning symptoms such as fever, chills, diarrhea and vomiting. Although Listeria infection is generally rare in the general population and does not usually cause severe symptoms in healthy, young, non-pregnant individuals, it may cause severe symptoms in pregnant people.

As the CDC points out, although only about 1,600 people are infected with Listeria each year, it is the third leading cause of death from food poisoning. About 260 people die from listeria every year. Pregnant women are the most vulnerable to Listeria infection, as they are ten times more likely to be infected than others.

Not only are pregnant women more susceptible to Listeria infection than non-pregnant women, Listeria can also pose significant risks to pregnancy. “Listeria infections can lead to serious pregnancy complications, including miscarriage, premature birth, or life-threatening infections in the newborn,” Dr. Schlafer said. “While pregnant women may experience only mild symptoms of infection or even no symptoms at all, listeria infection still poses a very serious risk to the fetus.”

That’s why it’s critical for pregnant women to pay close attention to the risk of foodborne illness during pregnancy, Dr. Schlafer stresses.

Myths About Eating Deli Meats During Pregnancy

One misconception about deli meats during pregnancy is that if you don’t eat deli meats, you’re off the hook. When understanding the risks of listeria during pregnancy, you should remember that the problem also includes other foods besides deli meats.

As Dr. Schlafer describes, “Listeria thrives in cold environments, and the risk is not limited to deli foods but extends to other cold, ready-to-eat products, including sliced ​​and prepackaged vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, soft cheeses, and even ice cream.

According to ACOG, if you’re concerned about listeria infection during pregnancy, you should avoid the following foods:

• Unpasteurized milk
• soft cheese
• Deli and lunch meat
• hot dog
• meat sauce
• Refrigerated Meat Sauce
• Chilled smoked seafood
• Raw fruits and vegetables that have not been washed properly
• Raw and undercooked meat, eggs, seafood and poultry
• Sushi made with raw fish

Another misconception is that simply refrigeration of these foods is enough to protect them from listeria infection. “Overall, keeping food refrigerated and maintained at safe storage temperatures is important for food safety, but unfortunately, this does not kill Listeria that thrives in cold environments,” Dr. Schlafer explained. “Not even refrigeration can kill Listeria. Therefore, Listeria may affect many cold, ready-to-eat foods, especially those that have been processed or handled using contaminated equipment.

Additionally, just because deli meat looks “fresh” doesn’t mean it’s safe. “Just because food looks delicious or is presented on a pretty plate doesn’t mean it’s safe to eat,” cautions Dr. Graves. “A charcuterie board is absolutely delicious, but just because there may be dry-cured meat, it doesn’t mean listeria isn’t present.”

A safe guide to eating deli meats during pregnancy

Here’s the good news: there is yes Ways to safely eat deli meats during pregnancy, so if you’re six months pregnant and craving a turkey sandwich in the middle of the night, you’re in luck! Dr. Graves advises: “If you have this craving and the only thing you can eat is deli meat, be sure to heat it to the point where you see it steaming, which will kill any meat that might be present. Listeria.

According to the CDC, this means heating deli meat to 165°F before eating it, which will help kill any possible listeria. Of course, not everyone has the means to measure the heat of food, so a general guideline is to heat meat until steaming hot. Meat should be eaten immediately after heating. Some people end up enjoying an entire hot sandwich, such as a barbecue sandwich or a panini. up to you.

Keep in mind that even if you’ve handled the meat in your sandwich, you should take precautions in other aspects of making the sandwich. “Consider the risk of cross-contamination and ensure that any unheated ingredients in the diet (such as tomatoes) have not come into contact with raw meat before consumption,” Dr. Schlafer advises. “The same goes for knives, cutting boards and other tools used for food preparation and storage.”

Deli meat alternatives

Although there are some safer ways to eat deli meat during pregnancy, some people prefer to avoid it, either because they don’t like steamed meat or because they want to avoid all possible listeria risks. “If the idea of ​​eating a hot turkey sandwich during August of your pregnancy doesn’t sound appealing, consider cutting out deli foods altogether,” Dr. Schlafer advises.

If your goal is to avoid any possible exposure to listeria, your best option is to eliminate not only cooked meats from your diet during pregnancy, but also any other possible sources. “Focusing on purchasing whole foods and produce that are minimally processed can give consumers greater control over washing, peeling and preparing them at home, thus bypassing many of the commercial processing steps that pose contamination risks,” Dr. Schlafer advises. “Now is the perfect time to take advantage of summer’s abundant produce and prepare fresh meals at home.”

Other steps you can take to protect your health when it comes to listeria:

• Stay informed about listeria outbreaks in the news
• Avoid known high-risk foods such as soft cheeses, raw meats, and unwashed raw fruits and vegetables
• Implement safe food handling and storage techniques

If you have any questions about eating deli meats during pregnancy, be sure to contact your healthcare provider. You should also contact your healthcare provider if you have questions about overall nutrition during pregnancy and other food safety issues.