Cold cuts and pregnancy.

[leahmn12]

O.K., I'm going to try to write this as quickly as possible because just thinking about writing about food is making me queasy. So, out of desperation for some quick (as in instantaneous) protein, which seems to be the only thing that I can tolerate right now, I bought some of that Hormel prepackaged, nitrate-free ham and turkey lunch meat. I soon after read that in order to eliminate risk of listeria, it must be cooked (again) before eaten. So, does that mean I can cook it all up, and keep it in the fridge to eat as I need it, or do I have to re-heat it every time I want some? Gag. That won't work for me.

[monica82]

Honestly I kind of ignore this pregnancy rule. I don't eat a lot of deli meat to begin with. I think I've had one sandwich and I got subway one time too. I would guess heat it up right before you eat it. Sorry... I guess I'm "bad" I just eat it if I have it-which isn't often. Good luck.

[lillymonster]

I have never heated cold cuts - ugh, sounds disgusting. Every one has something that bothers them more than others, but I never gave a thought to cold cuts and I eat deli meat a lot with both pregnancies, only thing sometimes I could keep down.

[rhiOrion]

I imagine that you're supposed to heat it right before you eat. But there is no reason you couldn't let it cool off, or probably even put it in the fridge for a bit to get nice and cold again. I don't think any bacteria would have time to grow. Honestly, I'd probably even feel safe heating it up and then putting it in the fridge and eating it within a day or two. But, as the PP shows, some people don't worry about that rule at all. So I think it's all about your own personal comfort level. If that's the only way you can stomach protein, especially.

**** I'm not a doctor, though, and I'm just telling you what I'd do

[~Demeter~]

Originally Posted by lillymonster

I have never heated cold cuts - ugh, sounds disgusting. Every one has something that bothers them more than others, but I never gave a thought to cold cuts and I eat deli meat a lot with both pregnancies, only thing sometimes I could keep down.

This is me.... your risks of listeria are no greater when pregnant than not. I love deli meats a little too much to avoid them altogether and think they would be disgusting heated up.

[expat_canuck]

another alternative - and what I do when I'm not 100% confident of the meat I'm eating, and also because i love melty cheese on a sandwich (i've always gotten my subway subs toasted, for example), is to just add a few slices of cheese on top of the meet and stick it under the broiler until the cheese melts - then add your veggies and what not to your sandwich.

[Qbear'smama]

I'm another one who has eaten cold cuts cold. I dont eat them that often but I had a few turkey breast sandwiches on the weekend while camping and I thought about the rule...then ate the sandwiches. I wouldn't worry too much about it. But I like the melty sandwich idea mentioned by the PP.

[Family4Christ]

There's two options that I use. 1) You can get a panini maker and do them that way (yum!). 2) you can go to whole foods or central market and get their house roasted deli meat. It's literally a fresh roasted turkey (or whatever meat) and it doesn't get slimy when heated like regular deli meat would; it's just like heating up turkey you roasted.

The sliminess comes from the bath that the regular deli meat gets to preserve it and it's disgusting heated. I couldn't eat it not pregnant that way, much less pregnant.

They say you must heat it up whenever you want to eat it, as listeria grows on the meat while being stored in the fridge.

[isfa]

Originally Posted by ~Demeter~

This is me.... your risks of listeria are no greater when pregnant than not. I love deli meats a little too much to avoid them altogether and think they would be disgusting heated up.

Actually, that's completely untrue.
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pre.../listeria.html
"CDC claims that pregnant women are 20 times more likely to become infected than non-pregnant healthy adults."

[MamaPhD]

Originally Posted by ~Demeter~

This is me.... your risks of listeria are no greater when pregnant than not. I love deli meats a little too much to avoid them altogether and think they would be disgusting heated up.

This is not true. During pregnancy you are immunosuppressed to protect your baby (kinda like you have a temporary organ transplant because your baby is a stranger, really, immunologically speaking). You have 20-25x higher chance of listeria infection for example, which is why the whole hoopla about heating up deli meat/leftovers & careful with raw food thing comes from. Obviously you have to make your decisions but just wanted to put it out there because of all the posts claiming your risk is same during pregnancy as before. Simply scientifically not true.

[CherryBomb]

You are more likely to contract listeria when pregnant, but listeria infection rates are fairly low to begin with (2-3 infections per million in the US annually).

If I ate deli meat on a daily basis, I'd probably be more likely to heat it before eating, but since I eat it irregularly, I don't bother. It's really a personal decision, it's unlikely that you'll contract listeria from eating deli meat, but it's not impossible, so it's up to what you feel comfortable with.

[~Demeter~]

Teach me to post early in the morning when I'm not awake yet... Yes, I know you are immunosuppressed when pregnant. What I think I was attempting to say rather unclearly is that your risks are fairly low to begin with and that it's really not something that I choose to worry about. Thanks for everybody jumping in to correct me.

[MaerynPearl]

I don't worry about it, for the exact reason CherryBomb said

We MAY be more likely to contract it, but we are still WAY less likely to contract it than be hurt by other things we are not told not to do (like ride in a car, go for a walk, clean our house, take a trip to the pool... etc...)

Use your own judgment on this one, really.

[~Adorkable~]

i heat mine up, but by laying them in a frying pan for a moment on each side, it makes them kinda crunchy on the edges rather than slimy and i love them that way!! i have done that since way before i was preggo and continue to do that when i want them. i them put them on my regular sandwich (which usually has toasted bread but cold cheese and fixins) and it make it very gourmet.

[crayfishgirl]

Originally Posted by CherryBomb

You are more likely to contract listeria when pregnant, but listeria infection rates are fairly low to begin with (2-3 infections per million in the US annually).

This is true, but in 2008 there was a massive recall of lunch meat across Canada (which has comporable or better health and safety standards than the US). Several people died as a result of listeriosis (9 confirmed, 11 suspected), including 2 pregnant women. While we're probably more likely to die in a car accident or falling down stairs, it doesn't hurt to think about these things and take caution to minimize the risks.

To the OP, when this outbreak/recall was underway, it was advised to heat any deli meat to steaming hot in the microwave. Once that was done you could just keep it in the fridge and eat like normal (without having to heat it each time).

[CherryBomb]

Originally Posted by crayfishgirl

This is true, but in 2008 there was a massive recall of lunch meat across Canada (which has comporable or better health and safety standards than the US). Several people died as a result of listeriosis (9 confirmed, 11 suspected), including 2 pregnant women. While we're probably more likely to die in a car accident or falling down stairs, it doesn't hurt to think about these things and take caution to minimize the risks.

Well sure, but there's also been massive recalls and listeria outbreaks in the US in recent years because of spinach and lettuce and things like that Listeria is also in soil and water. Considering how many ways there are to contract it, it's pretty amazing that infection rates are as low as they are. That's not to say people shouldn't heat lunch meat if they want, but it's also not eliminating your risk of listeria.

[Sol_y_Paz]

Originally Posted by expat_canuck

another alternative - and what I do when I'm not 100% confident of the meat I'm eating, and also because i love melty cheese on a sandwich (i've always gotten my subway subs toasted, for example), is to just add a few slices of cheese on top of the meet and stick it under the broiler until the cheese melts - then add your veggies and what not to your sandwich.

great idea!

[leahmn12]

I hate to say this after all the time people have taken to respond to my query, but, I can't stomach the lunch meat at all anymore. So, problem solved. Too much time spent thinking or talking about any particular food seems to doom it the "unpalatable list" right now. Thanks for the posts though. And I think the issue has been resolved for anybody who can eat the stuff!