Is it safe to eat ranch dressing?

[JFTB1177]

Is ranch dressing safe during pregnancy? I know we're not supposed to eat blue cheese dressing, but what about ranch? The ingredients in the ranch dressing I have here at home say "egg yolks", but are they pasteurized like in store-bought mayo???

I had some ranch dressing today and just feeling worried.

[lillymonster]

Why wouldn't it be okay to eat? You can eat blue cheese dressing. There is really not many places in the US that sell unpasteurized blue cheese and I am sure if they did, it wouldn't be made into salad dressing you can buy off the shelf at a grocery store. I eat blue cheese dressing at least 4 times a week.

[RedOakMomma]

Short answer: it's safe to eat almost anything in pregnancy.

Saying it isn't safe to eat certain foods during pregnancy is like saying it's not safe to be in a car during pregnancy. I mean, YIKES!, you can DIE IN A CAR!!!! And yet, we do it every day.

The chances of something happening to you or the baby are so, so, SO small. Especially in our germ-obsessed, sterlization-crazy culture. Eat food you like.

[EmedAK]

i'll agree with lillymonster. I don't see why store bought dressings wouldn't be safe - pretty much everything like that has to be pasturized to be sold at a regular store. I also still eat blue cheese and blue cheese dressing - i read as much as i could and decided that the risk was too low to be overly worried about it. I was also 'craving' blue cheese iceberg lettuce wedge salad during my first trimester so i rationalized that the baby must need it for some reason I'd be more cautious with salad dressing from restaurants where they make their own which could contain raw eggs etc.

Of course you must educate yourself and make your own decision.

[lillymonster]

I was told by a chef once that if you are worried about Salmonella, it's mostly found on the shell, so there is more danger if you have shells in your scrambled eggs than not cooking them long enough. If restaurants are making food like caesar dressing with raw eggs then the eggs must be pasteurized first.

Originally Posted by EmedAK

I was also 'craving' blue cheese iceberg lettuce wedge salad during my first trimester so i rationalized that the baby must need it for some reason

Blue cheese dressing is my craving this time and I am glad to see I am not the only one!

[hawthornehill]

ummm... i've eaten um both. and totally not worried. it's safe

[shoefairy3]

I pretty much eat the same as pre-pregnancy. Everything in moderation I say

[JFTB1177]

Thanks so much everyone for your responses!! I feel much better now!!

[MaerynPearl]

I have had SOOOOO many salads with blue cheese crumbles on them, let alone dressing, this pregnancy. I do not usually like it but this little girl makes me crave it like crazy (ESPECIALLY the salads with strawberries and blue cheese omg yum!)

[JFTB1177]

Ok all this talk of blue cheese is making me crave it soooooo bad!!!! LOL