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Eating for two often means you have to think twice about foods you loved pre-pregnancy and whether they’re good for you and your unborn baby. That includes coffee, wine, certain types of fish and cheese, and even the turkey sandwich you packed for lunch.
Yup, deli meats are generally listed as one of the things that pregnant women should avoid. But it’s not necessarily a blanket ban, so it’s important to understand why the recommendation exists, what the risks are, and how you can protect yourself and your fetus.
Can pregnant women eat deli meat?
The answer, unfortunately, isn’t as simple as “yes” or “no.” There’s been a lot of discussion and debate over the last several years about the restrictions placed on pregnant women, and whether the evidence supports prevailing advice. Writer and economist Emily Oster challenged some of those restrictions, including the “no cold cuts” stipulation, in her book Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong and What You Really Need to Know, where she argues that women should be equipped with data on the “why” as well as the “what,” so they can make educated decisions for themselves.
Oster is not a medical doctor, and her book was met with some controversy, but her point about empowering women with information is a good one. So let’s take a closer look at the deli meat issue.
The risk associated with deli meat is listeriosis, an infection caused by food contaminated with listeria monocytogenes. Listeriosis is rare, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pregnant women are 10 times more likely to contract a listeria infection than the general population. If you do get listeriosis, you could pass the infection to your unborn baby through the placenta, which could result in a miscarriage, stillbirth, or preterm labor.
Because of this, major organizations and many doctors recommend avoiding cold cuts, which have been linked to listeria outbreaks in the past (including as recently as April 2019). It’s also why experts such as the CDC and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) advise against eating hot dogs, unpasteurized milk products, raw sprouts, smoked cold seafood, and refrigerated patê or meat spreads. (Shelf-stable patê and meat spreads are considered safer.)
“Not only are pregnant women especially susceptible to listeriosis infections, but because the infection may spread into and across the placenta, infection also puts their fetus at significant risk,” Dr. Jeffrey L. Ecker, chair of ACOG’s Committee on Obstetric Practice, said in a press release about the organization’s 2014 listeria guidelines. “It is essential for OB-GYNs not only to be aware of the best ways to manage the care of a pregnant patient who has been exposed to listeria bacteria, but just as important, to counsel pregnant women regarding how to avoid potential exposure.”
Weighing the risks
Don’t freak out if you ate a turkey sandwich before you knew about the listeria connection. The CDC estimates that there are approximately 1,600 cases of listeriosis each year, so while your risk is significantly higher during pregnancy, the risk overall is still low, statistically speaking. Given the potential effects, though, many experts say the safest way to mitigate that risk in the future is to avoid foods, like deli meat, that are most commonly associated with the infection. It’s also always a good idea to talk with your doctor about any questions you may have. Your physician should be able to help you decide what’s best for you, your pregnancy, and your peace of mind.
“I did a lot of reading about how you’re not supposed to eat things like sushi and deli meat, but my OB wasn’t so alarmist about it,” mom-of-two Annette Cardwell told Mom.com. “So, while I did skip sushi, I did eat some deli meat.”
What precautions can I take when consuming deli foods?
If you really can’t resist that hoagie craving — we get it, sometimes you just want an Italian sub — there are ways to lower your chance of infection and still enjoy the occasional sandwich. Foodsafety.gov, a website managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, advises heating deli meats and hot dogs, even those that are precooked, to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, or until steaming hot, prior to eating. Reheated ham may not sound very appetizing, but it carries less risk.
You should also be especially diligent about food safety around your house. Pay attention to recalls and alerts, don’t store opened packages of deli meat or hot dogs for too long in the refrigerator, and wash your hands and any cooking surfaces after handling those products. That goes for everyone, not just pregnant women. Finally, if you think you may have been exposed to listeria, talk with your doctor.
