safe to eat lunch meat?

Question

I have seen somwhere that it isn't very safe to eat lunch meat. Has anyone else heard this? And is it safe?

this is actually my 4th child, and i have eaten lunch meat all my life to. But I just saw something not to long ago about them saying it's not safe while preg. but they say that about almost everything. Just wanted to see what others thought

Answer 1

Yes, I avoided lunch meat (unless it was heated up and steaming) while pregnant. You could get listeriosis from it.Foodborne illness caused by Listeria in pregnant women can result in premature delivery, miscarriage, fetal death, and severe illness or death of a newborn from the infection.


How you can prevent it:
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.

What is Listeria?
Listeria is a type of bacteria found everywhere in soil and ground water and on plants. Animals and people can carry Listeria in their bodies without becoming sick. Despite being so widespread, most infections in humans result from eating contaminated foods.

Most people are not at increased risk for listeriosis. However, there are some people who are considered at risk because they are more susceptible to listeriosis. In addition to pregnant women and their unborn babies and newborns, other at-risk groups include older adults and people with weakened immune systems caused by cancer treatments, AIDS, diabetes, kidney disease, etc. By carefully following food safety precautions, persons at risk for listeriosis can substantially reduce their chances of becoming ill.

Why is listeriosis especially dangerous for me and my child?
Hormonal changes during pregnancy have an effect on the mother s immune system that lead to an increased susceptibility to listeriosis in the mother. According to the CDC, pregnant women are about 20 times more likely than other healthy adults to get listeriosis. In fact, about one-third of listeriosis cases happen during pregnancy. Listeriosis can be transmitted to the fetus through the placenta even if the mother is not showing signs of illness. This can lead to premature delivery, miscarriage, stillbirth, or serious health problems for her newborn.

Answer 2

I ate lunch meat all the time when I was pregnant and nothing bad happened. Just don't eat any that's been sitting out too long, like at Subway or something like that (unless it's a hot, toasted sub). If you're still not feeling safe, you can always microwave it for a few seconds and that will kill any bacteria that was there. I also read somewhere that you shouldn't eat eggs over easy, but I always did and we were fine. It's just a matter of getting a bad egg or not, which can happen while pregnant or not.

Answer 3

Sliced lunch meats tend to go bad very quickly and are often left laying around the fridge until they are contaminated with bacteria. Sliced, pre-packaged meats should be consumed or thrown away within 3 days of opening the package, same goes for meat from the deli.

I use a Sharpie and date the package when I open it. I have that Mommy brain damage syndrome due to raising kids and need all the help I can get in the memory department.

Also little packages, like Lunchables, are great since they are a single serving and if you play your cards right you can get the ones with a couple of cookies in the package! Those things are great in a pinch.

Have fun with your new baby!!

Answer 4

When I was pregnant I was told NOT to eat lunch meat. Only the deli kind, however, since the packaged kind contains ingredients to help preserve it. Deli meat can contain a bacteria called Listeria, it can cause uterine infections and possible miscarriage. I didn't eat any lunch meat during my pregnancy just to be safe. Good luck with your pregnancy. Do you have the What to Expect when You're Expecting book-it answers a lot of questions. If you have other questions you should write them down so that you remember to ask your doc. Things always seem to be changing as far as what you can and cannot do. It's always smart to double check

Answer 5

I went to a pre preggers senimar and they did say Not to eat soft cheeses, deli meat (processed) some fish (because of mercury) Basically the best stuff to eat is food from the ground. Try to avoid processed food such as chicken nuggets, Mcdonalds all take away foods. With seafood, you should only eat it in moderation but then again you have to make sure the mercury isnt high in it... Oh another thing do Not eat Sprouts (aparently theres something in them thats not good in the first trimester)

Answer 6

hi-you CAN eat lunch meat-as long as you heat it to steaming in the microwave-that includes hot dogs too (my doc told me this)

I wouldnt eat it every day though-maybe 2 or 3x a week.

I ate sandwiches heated to steam all through my pregnancy & my baby is 4 weeks old now and she was born perfect

Answer 7

I don't ever eat lunch meat because it has a lot of sodium nitrate which can cause cancer. So I would suggest you don't eat it while pregnant at least.

Answer 8

Yes, a lot of people avoid lunchmeat unless it's cooked... but i know quite a few people who ate lunchmeat throughout their whole pregnancy and had no problems at all.

Answer 9

As long as you keep it tightly sealed and refrigerated, and eat it before the expiration date you're good to go, it's very safe.

Do not eat if it's been left sitting out or left open, then it could be dangerous.

Answer 10

lunch meat danger is listeria. my nurse practitioner was totally against pregnant women eating it.