I just read that you are suppose to avoid lunchmeat when your pregnant, has anyone else heard that?

Answer 1

Yes. Either avoid it or cook it in the microwave until it is steaming. This kills the listeria bacteria, which is common in lunchmeat and can cause food poisioning in you and kill your unborn baby.

Pregnant women and their unborn babies are very susceptible to food poisoining with listeria.

Read this for more info:

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provide the following advice for pregnant women and all at-risk consumers: :

* Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats unless they are reheated until steaming hot.

* Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, and Mexican-style cheeses such as "queso blanco fresco." (Hard cheeses, semi-soft cheeses such as mozzarella, pasteurized processed cheese slices and spreads, cream cheese, and cottage cheese can be safely consumed.)

* Do not eat refrigerated pâté or meat spreads. Canned or shelf-stable pâté and meat spreads can be eaten.

* Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood unless it is an ingredient in a cooked dish such as a casserole. Examples of refrigerated smoked seafood include salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna, and mackerel which are most often labeled as "nova-style," "lox," "kippered," "smoked," or "jerky." This fish is found in the refrigerated section or sold at deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens. Canned fish such as salmon and tuna or shelf-stable smoked seafood may be safely eaten.

* Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk or eat foods that contain unpasteurized milk.

* Do not drink unpasteurized juices.

Answer 2

Lunchmeat is preserved with nitrites and/or nitrates. Everyone should avoid those.

You should also avoid deli meats -- the kids where they slice some off a larger chunk and serve it to you. Possiblities are endless for contamination. A healthy person can fight it off, but you don't want to take chances when you are pregnant.

But if you avoid everything you are supposed to avoid, there isn't much left. Use your best judgement, and do things in moderation. Ask your doctor, too. Information like this changes over time.

Answer 3

There are at least two areas of concern in regard to eating lunch meats while you are pregnant: nitrates and listeria.

Pre-packaged lunch meats often contain high levels of a preservative called sodium nitrate. There have been few studies related to the effect of sodium nitrates on pregnancy, but some experts suggest that nitrates may cause problems during pregnancy.

The biggest concern with lunch meats during pregnancy is the risk of listeria. Listeria is a bacteria that can be found in deli meats as well as vegetables and processed foods. This bacteria can cause an illness known as Listeriosis, which can cause any number of problems during pregnancy such as:

- Miscarriage
- Premature delivery
- Infection to the newborn
- Death to the newborn (about 1/4 of the cases of perinatal Listeriosis result in stillbirth or neonatal death.)

Symptoms of Listeriosis may include mild flu like symptoms, headaches, muscle aches, fever, nausea and vomiting. If the infection spreads to the nervous system it can cause stiff neck, disorientation or convulsions. Infection can occur at any time during pregnancy, but it is most common during the third trimester when your immune system is somewhat suppressed. Be sure to contact your health care provider if you experience any of these symptoms.

To avoid getting listeriosis from cold cuts, reheat the cold cuts until steaming. In addition, avoid soft cheeses, refrigerated pates, cooked seafood, and practice safe food handling.


i know heating up the cold cuts might sound gross but i did that and then let them cool off. tasted just as good!!

Answer 4

yes, lunch meats and unpastorized food run a higher risk of being contaminated with the listeria bacteria...which anyone with a lowered immune system (includes pg women) can catch more easily. Its a nasty form of food poisoning.
You can eat lunchmeats if their heated through, but why chance it.

Answer 5

I have never heard of such a thing. I have been pregnant 3 times and each pregnancy I have eaten lunchmeat- my kids have all been born fine and healthy. If you're really concerned, talk to your doctor about it. I'm sure he/she could help you more than we can out here. Good Luck and God Bless!

Answer 6

Everyone should avoid lunchmeat all the time!!! It is full of fat and sodium and a ton of other preservatives. You are better off cooking your own turkey or roast beef. Let it totally cool and you can slice it like deli meat.

Answer 7

Deli meats have known to be contaminated with Listeria, which can cause miscarriage. Listeria has the ability to cross the placenta and may infect the baby leading to infection, or blood poisoning which may be life-threatening. If you are pregnant and you are considering eating deli meats, make certain that you reheat the meat to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Answer 8

its listeria a bacteria you can get from unpasturized foods, i heard of this after my first pregnancy during my second...here is an article if you notice about half way down.....

The CDC recognizes Listeria infection as an important public health problem in the U.S.

Pregnant women are about 20 times more likely than other healthy adults to get listeriosis (Listeria infection). About one-third of all cases occur during pregnancy.

When a pregnant woman gets listeriosis, she usually has only mild, flu-like symptoms. But infections during pregnancy can have serious problems for the fetus -- including premature delivery, infection in the newborn, or even stillbirth.

Answer 9

You can eat lunch meat, but it has to be pasteurized (like cheese). This eliminates the bacteria that can cause birth defects. When in doubt... get something pre-packaged so you can read the ingredients. If it's unpasteurized, don't eat it. Some delis do carry unpasteurized meats and cheeses, so it's always better to ask if you prefer a deli cut to pre-packaged lunch meat.

Answer 10

Actually your doctors office is suppose to give you all kinds of info on this, what's safe, what's not during pregnancy.
You shouldn't eat lunch meat that isn't heated up first. It can cause a bacteria that is very harmful to the growing fetus. Just like raw foods and soft cheeses.