Pregnant women should consume safe foods to protect themselves and the fetus. Food poisoning is painful, but during pregnancy, it can be dangerous. Let's look at the main points of food safety in pregnancy.

Foods that we can and cannot eat during pregnancy

• Cheese: We avoid any food made from unpasteurized milk. We do not eat mold-ripened cheeses (like Brie, Camembert, Chevre, Danish blue cheese, Roquefort, Gorgonzola, etc.) unless it's cooked. We avoid unpasteurized milk and unpasteurized cream. We can eat pasteurized and unpasteurized hard cheeses, like cheddar, gruyere, and parmesan. We can eat pasteurized semi-hard cheeses (like Edam and Gouda) and pasteurized soft cheeses like cottage cheese, mozzarella, feta, cream cheese, ricotta, halloumi, and goat cheese that doesn't have a white coating on the outside. If we cook the cheese, the microbial risks get minimized. We should only consume pasteurized milk, yogurt, cream, and ice creams. We often come across products from small producers or amateurs in Greece; we better avoid any food with unknown origin or not tested.
• Meats: We eat them all, as long as we cook them well, with no trace of pink or blood. We avoid liver, liver products, pate, vegetarian pate, and game meats. Cold meats such as salami, pepperoni, chorizo, and prosciutto must be well-cooked.
• Eggs: We must cook them very carefully. It is good to prefer them hard-boiled and not to try raw pastry dough containing eggs or homemade mayonnaise.
• Fish and seafood: We can eat them all, but we should cook them carefully. We can eat cooked sushi and shellfish. We also carefully cook smoked fish such as trout and smoked salmon. We do not choose more than two portions of fatty fish per week (such as salmon, trout, mackerel, herring, etc.). We do not have more than one portion of tuna per week (like 140g cooked or one canned tuna of 120g). Finally, we avoid eating swordfish, sharks, large fish, and raw shellfish.
• Caffeine: We do not exceed 200mg/day. What does this mean for us? 2 cups instant coffee or 1.5 cups filter coffee or 2 cups tea, etc. We always calculate the caffeine contained in soft drinks and chocolate.
• Alcohol: We avoid it.
• Teas and herbs: We don't drink more than 4 cups/day. We are careful with herbs because there are no data on side effects and recommended dosage. We always consult our Dietitian.
• Fruits, vegetables, and salads: As we consume them raw, they are foods with a high microbial load. We wash them carefully, under running water, and with rubbing to remove as much as possible. We remove every dirt which may contain pathogenic microorganisms. We avoid raw salads from outside.
• Nutritional supplements: Always prescribed by our Dietitian and our doctor. We should not take high-dose multivitamins or vitamin A supplements.
• Nuts: There is no need to avoid eating any nuts during pregnancy. Some people think they should avoid peanuts, but this is a myth. Avoid only after scientific advice or if there is an allergy.
• Personal hygiene: We wash our hands thoroughly with soap and water before preparing food or before starting to eat, but also after handling foods such as meat, poultry, and fish.
• Cooking: We respect the cooking times of the food. We can buy a thermometer for more accuracy. We store cooked food in the refrigerator when it reaches room temperature, and we don't let many days pass before consuming it. We wash cooking surfaces well; we do not use the same utensil for raw and cooked food. We also have separate cutting trays for meat, poultry, fish, and fresh vegetables. If we eat out, we avoid fresh salads, we go to places and shops we trust, and if we want, we inform them about our pregnancy.
• Daily habits: We avoid drinking directly from a soft drink bottle or package (such as Coca-Cola can) because it can be a breeding ground for germs. We do not eat food after the expiry date, even if it seems ok.

Why is food safety essential in pregnancy?

Food safety during pregnancy is necessary so the pregnant woman can go through this period most smoothly and mildly. At the same time, it is significant for the fetus' safety. Below is a justification of what we should or shouldn't eat during pregnancy, mainly for informational purposes. We follow the food safety detailed above, and there will be no problems. During pregnancy, even if it is a sensitive phase of our lives, our body does as much as it can to help and protect us.

Food safety aims to avoid pathogenic microbes that can harm our health. To better understand the above, we give some examples. Unpasteurized or soft-ripened dairy products and smoked fish may contain Listeria bacteria, which can cause listeriosis. That can cause intense discomfort in the fetus, even stillbirth. Soft cheeses with a white coating on the outside have more moisture, which can facilitate the growth of pathogenic bacteria. In the case of meat, there is a risk of toxoplasmosis if it is raw or undercooked, which can cause miscarriage. The liver and offal contain large amounts of vitamin A, which might harm the baby. Game meat may contain lead. Salmonella caused by raw eggs and undercooked poultry can lead to food poisoning, which will be particularly painful and distressing for the mother. Tuna has more mercury than other fish, which is harmful to all people in general, but also to the fetus. Several fatty fish per week should be limited, as they may contain pollutants such as dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls. Finally, raw shellfish may contain harmful bacteria, viruses, or toxins, causing food poisoning.

Of course, the above is good knowledge not just for pregnancy but also in other situations. Food safety is always vital. In cases of immunosuppression, in young children or older people, when we have a weakened immune system, we must be careful and follow our basic good practices in food safety even more faithfully.