[Nut]

Disclaimer

The information contained within this post is taken from the NSW Food Authority Website. These are not recommendations written by EB and any choices you make in regard to food consumption are your own. This is only here to help as a guide line. Should you require more information, speak to your health care provider. You can view the full PDF file HERE or look at the NSW Food Authority Website.

What is Listeria?

Listeria is a type of bacteria found in some foods which causes a serious infection called listeriosis. It can take up to six weeks for the flu-like symptoms to occur and if transmitted to your unborn baby can lead to miscarriage, infection of your newborn and stillbirth. The best way to avoid this is through hygienic preparation, storing and handling of food. Ideally, you should eat only freshly cooked food and well-washed, (freshly prepared) fruit and vegetables. Leftovers can be eaten if they are refrigerated promptly and
kept no longer than a day.

These mostly chilled, ready to eat foods should be avoided altogether:

• Soft and semi-soft cheese (OK if cooked)

• Cold cooked chicken

• Cold processed meats

• Prepared salads

• Raw seafood

• Soft serve ice-cream

• Unpasteurised dairy products

• Paté

Salmonella

Salmonella can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, fever and headache. Pregnant women are not at an increased risk of contracting salmonellosis, but in rare cases it may trigger miscarriage.

So it’s advisable to avoid foods that contain raw egg and always cook meat, chicken and eggs thoroughly.


In addition, the NSW Food Authority recommends that pregnant women do not eat any type of sprout (including alfalfa sprouts, broccoli sprouts, onion sprouts, sunflower sprouts, clover sprouts, radish sprouts, snowpea sprouts, mung beans and soybeans) either raw or lightly cooked.

Other food risks

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis while uncommon in pregnant women can occur if you eat the garden. It is particularly important to avoid toxoplasmosis during pregnancy undercooked meats, or unwashed fruit and vegetables (particularly from gardens with household cats). Most commonly, however, infection is caused by touching cat and dog faeces when cleaning the kitty litter tray or contaminated soil in because it can lead to brain damage or blindness in your unborn child.

Tips for avoiding toxoplasmosis:

• Don’t eat undercooked or raw meat

• Don’t drink unpasteurised goat’s milk

• Don’t handle cat litter

• When gardening wear gloves

• Always wash your hands after

touching animals

Mercury in fish

Fish are rich in protein and minerals, low in saturated fat, and contain Omega 3 Although it’s really important to eat fish during pregnancy and breastfeeding, you need to be careful about which fish you choose. That’s because some fish may contain mercury levels that may harm an unborn baby or young child’s developing nervous system. fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are important for the development of the central nervous system in babies, before and after they are born.

The following table will help you safely include fish as an important part of a balanced diet.

Eat 2-3 serves per week of small fish. Fish should be small enough to fit on a plate.

Examples: Mackerel, Silver Warehou, Bream, Snapper, Trevally, Whiting, Flathead,

Kingfish, canned Tuna & Salmon, Herrings, Sardines, shellfish, Lobster, Octopus

OR

1 serve per fortnight of Shark (Flake) or Billfish (Broadbill, Swordfish and Marlin)

and no other fish that fortnight

OR

1 serve per week of Catfish or Orange Roughy (Deep Sea Perch)

and no other fish that week

Also watch out for…

Alcohol

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth

or your baby could be born with foetal alcohol syndrome (slow growth before and

after birth, and mental disabilities). As it is not known whether there is a safe level of

drinking during pregnancy the National Health and Medical Research Council advises

women that it is best not to drink during pregnancy.



Caffeine

Small amounts of caffeine are safe during pregnancy but excessive volumes may increase

the risk of miscarriage and premature birth. Caffeine is in coffee, tea, chocolate and

cola (and some other soft drinks). NSW Health recommends that pregnant women limit

themselves to 200mg of caffeine daily. That is 2 cups of ground coffee or 2 1/2 cups

instant coffee, 4 cups medium-strength tea, 4 cups cocoa/hot chocolate or 6 cups of cola.



Smoking

Smoking is dangerous for your baby. Smoking increases the risk of premature birth,

low birth weight, respiratory problems and SIDS. There is no safe level of smoking.

For help to quit smoking call the Quitline on 131848.



Safer Eating In Pregnancy


Red = Don't Eat


Orange = Eat with caution

Green = OK

Meat, Poultry and Seafood

Processed Meats - Ham, salami, luncheon, chicken meat etc. - Do not eat unless fully cooked.

Raw meat - Any raw meat, raw chicken or other poultry, beef, pork etc. - Don’t eat

Poultry - Cold chicken or turkey e.g. used in sandwich bars - Don’t eat

Hot take-away chicken - Purchase freshly cooked, use immediately, store leftovers in fridge and use within a day of cooking

Home cooked Chicken - Ensure chicken is cooked thoroughly, use immediately �" store any leftovers in fridge and use within a day of cooking.

Paté- Refrigerated paté or meat spreads - Don’t eat

Seafood - Raw seafood Don’t eat

Ready-to-eat chilled peeled prawns - Don’t eat

Cooked fish and seafood - Cook until steaming hot, eat while hot, store leftovers in the fridge and use within a day of cooking

Sushi Store-bought - Don’t eat

Home-made - Don’t use raw meat or seafood, eat immediately

Cooked meats - Beef, pork, chicken, mince - Cook thoroughly, eat while hot

Dairy and Eggs

Cheese Soft and semi-soft cheese - brie, camembert, ricotta, fetta, blue etc. - Don’t eat unless in a fully cooked dish e.g. spinach and ricotta canneloni

Processed cheese - cheese spreads, cottage cheese, cream cheese etc. - Store in the fridge, eat within two days of opening pack

Hard cheese- e.g. cheddar, tasty cheese - Store in the fridge

Ice cream Soft serve - Don’t eat

Packaged frozen ice cream - Keep and eat frozen

Unpasturised Milk - Don’t drink or use

Pasteurised Milk- Keep refrigerated, drink within ‘use by’ date

Other dairy - Cream, yoghurt - Check ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date, keep refrigerated

Custard - Don’t eat unless heated until steaming hot

Eggs - Cook thoroughly



Vegetable & fruit Salads

Pre-prepared or pre-packaged - salads, including fruit salad e.g. from salad bars, smorgasboards - Don’t eat

Home-made - Wash and dry salad ingredients well just before making and eating salads, store any leftover salads in fridge and use within a day of preparation

Fruit - Whole fresh fruits Wash and dry well before eating

Vegetables and herbs

Fresh vegetables and herbs - Wash and dry well just before eating raw or wash before cooking

Frozen vegetables - Cook; don’t eat uncooked

Bean sprouts - Alfalfa sprouts, broccoli sprouts, onion sprouts, sunflower sprouts, clover sprouts, radish sprouts, snowpea sprouts, mung beans and soybeans - Don’t eat raw or lightly cooked

Other foods

Leftovers - Cooked foods Store leftovers covered in the fridge, eat within a day and always reheat until steaming hot

Canned foods - Tinned fruit, vegetables, fish etc. - Store unused portions in the fridge in clean, sealed containers and use within a day

Stuffing - Stuffing from chicken or poultry - Don’t eat unless cooked separately and eat hot

Hummus - Store-bought or home-made Store in fridge, eat within 2 days of opening/making

Note: Listerosis is killed by heat. You can eat pretty much anything as long as it's cooked thoroughly right through. If you have any concerns about something you have eaten or if you think you may have listeriosis, please contact your doctor.

[*mylittleprince*]

Thanks for posting. Hopefully the members bragging about the wrong foods they ate during pregnancy will read this.

[ChantelM]

Thanks for the list. There were a couple of things on there that I thought were ok to eat.

I have heard conflicting stories about prawns. The last I heard was that a cooked prawn was ok to eat. Now I feel guilty. I did only eat a couple though. I think I will stay clear unless they are hot now. Is that ok?

And Custard. I haven't had any yet but wouldn't have even thought about that being bad.

[Nut]

Might be referring to egg custard. I think if you make it fresh using a packet mix or buy the premade ones they should be OK, much like mayonaise. I am not sure on that one though so perhaps it's worth asking about for those who really want custard.

Seafood - Raw seafood Don’t eat

Ready-to-eat chilled peeled prawns - Don’t eat

Cooked fish and seafood - Cook until steaming hot, eat while hot, store leftovers in the fridge and use within a day of cooking

I would say this means that chilled prawns (raw or cooked) should not be eaten but hot cooked prawns are OK.

[Podlettte]

with the mayonaise in jars form the supermarket question...

does that include whole egg mayo and the japanese Kewpie mayo (in the teardrop shaped squeezey bottle)?

I'm avoiding them anyway, but my favourite dish is Okonomiyaki and it requires the kewpie mayo on top, if it's not ok and whole egg mayo in a jar is ok, then yay!

oh and Ham off the bone cooked pre or post slicing?

This post has been edited by Podlettte: 15/11/2010, 09:41 PM

[Nut]

I believe (and note I am no expert on the subject so I am not in any way suggesting anything is OK, just my own interpretation) that jars of mayo are OK because they are pasturised and go through processes to kill off pathogens and so forth. It's more fresh mayo made with raw eggs that they recommend you avoid.

Same with meat. Needs to be hot when you're eating it. If you cook it before slicing it but eat it immediately the bacteria will be killed off. If you cook it and stick it in the fridge, heat it up before you eat it.

[Podlettte]

Thanks Nut, appreciate your comments and of course understand you're not an expert etc. I'll double check with my Dr when I speak with her next, or the ante natal clinic when I book in.

I've printed off the food authority thing for my DH and will laminate to stick on the fridge and also for my parents (who are doing chrissy lunch this year).

[sam_gamgee]

My understanding re meats etc - a temperature of 70C kills listeria. So meat that has been cooked to that temp doesn't have to be eaten hot, but should be eaten within 24 hours of cooking. (Obviously should also be refrigerated properly.) I can't see any problem with (say) a sandwich for lunch made with cold roast beef straight from the fridge, that was cooked the night before.

This post has been edited by sam_gamgee: 23/11/2010, 09:13 PM

[missmama]

This is soooo interesting.. thanks for the info

[Tilly77]

great info, thank you

does anyone know the concern about Hommus?