Food safety in pregnancy: foods to avoid and foods to handle with care

Most of the foods you eat during pregnancy are safe. But during this time, some germs can harm you and your baby more easily. Knowing which foods to avoid and how to prepare others lets you eat with peace of mind.

Why do you need to be more careful?

Pregnant women are about 10 times more likely than other people to get a Listeria infection. Listeria can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or serious illness in a newborn. Toxoplasma can also cause miscarriage and, if it passes to the baby, serious problems. Salmonella can make you very ill with food poisoning. These germs are most often spread through raw or undercooked meat, raw milk and raw eggs. The basic rule is simple: avoid risky foods.

Foods to avoid

• Raw or undercooked meat, chicken and meatballs. There should be no pink or blood left inside cooked meat. Foods made with raw meat, such as steak tartare, are also in this group.
• Unpasteurized (raw) milk and the cheese, butter, cream and ice cream made from it
• Raw or undercooked eggs: soft-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, desserts and sauces with raw egg, raw cake batter
• Liver and liver products: they contain very high levels of vitamin A, which can harm your baby.
• High-mercury large fish such as swordfish, shark and marlin; raw fish, sushi made with raw fish, and shellfish such as mussels and oysters
• Raw or lightly cooked sprouts (such as alfalfa and bean sprouts)
• Alcohol: No amount is known to be safe in pregnancy.
• Stay away from cured and processed meats such as salami, chorizo, pepperoni and prosciutto; they can carry Toxoplasma and Listeria.
• Avoid soft mold-ripened cheeses such as brie and camembert, and soft blue cheeses such as Roquefort; they can carry Listeria. Cheeses made from pasteurized milk, such as cheddar, cottage cheese and feta, are generally safe; look for the word “pasteurized” on the package.
• Fish is good for your baby's brain development. Cook fish thoroughly.
• Caffeine: Total daily caffeine should not exceed 200 mg.
• Ask your doctor before drinking herbal teas; each herb can act differently.

Basic kitchen rules

• Wash vegetables, fruit and leafy greens thoroughly in plenty of water so no soil is left.
• Use a separate cutting board for raw meat; after preparing raw meat, wash your hands, knife and board thoroughly.
• Don't leave cooked food at room temperature for long; keep it in the fridge. Keep packaged ready-made salads and sandwiches chilled and eat them before the use-by date.
• Wear gloves when gardening. If you have a cat, ideally someone else should clean the litter box; if you have to do it, wear gloves and wash your hands afterward.

“Well cooked instead of undercooked, pasteurized instead of raw: that's the safest choice in the kitchen during pregnancy.”

If you've eaten something risky

If you've eaten a small amount of a food you should avoid and haven't become ill, it's unlikely to affect your baby. But if you then get a fever, muscle aches, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal pain, see your doctor without delay and tell them what you ate. If you notice your baby moving less, go to the labor and delivery right away. Listeria symptoms usually start within two weeks of eating and may be mild in pregnant women, so take even a mild fever seriously.