I have thought about this and the ones that I eat are definitely freshly made (because you can tell). My OH used to work at a company where they had a sandwich machine where the sandwiches had a date four days ahead . Him and the lads he worked with called them the 'filthy' sandwiches, I wouldn't eat those! I definitely think that it is something to be careful about because the longer they are made for the longer the bugs have to multiply.

No it doesn't, you're quite right there. That is down to individual choice. I've had food poisoning twice from sandwiches (not listeria) and all the nice ones unfortunately have salad in them which I'm guessing is likely to be of the prebagged variety. Hence I avoid.

If anyone can tell me that the salad used in sandwiches is properly washed and kept I would be very grateful. <hopeful look>

www.eatwell.gov.uk/agesandstages/pregnancy/whenyrpregnant/

FSA advice does not mention sandwiches.

And I did not mean to imply, brettgirl, that you were not doing your best by saying your colleague is doing her best. You're making choices I wouldn't make but it doesn't mean you're not doing your best.

Well yes brettgirl and I fully accept that not all risks can be avoided. However it is pretty bloody easy, comparatively speaking to avoid the foods the FSA recommend pregnant women do not eat. To go against the guidelines by saying you are using "common sense" doesn't sound like common sense to me unless you actually know something serious about microbiology.

And yes, it was possibly OTT in my last pg to avoid driving a car (because I am short and couldn't drive without my bump touching the steering wheel, thus creating quite a high risk of fetal injury in even a small accident. I was also on occasions too sick to be a competent driver.) I still rode in cars as a passenger. This time round it isn't practical for me to stop taking this risk and therefore I am driving.

how would you be sure that items in your home fridge were kept below 4 degrees whilst being unpacked in a supermarket, in the car home/ being delivered...

do you have a cool box in your car?

you are right about the sandwiches up to a point - the thing about Listeria is that, if it is present, it will continue to grow quite happily between 4 and 10 degrees C. So your home fridge should be below 4 deg C, as should the fridges and chill cabinets in commercial food environments.

Listeria is a soil and water borne bacterium hence can get into almost any type of food, but it is easily killed by thorough heating/cooking.

For everyone concerned about it, read this info to see more.

brettgirl i completely agree with you. i think that if you become too paranoid in pg then life as a mother will be almost unbearable with worry!

i can't believe that people would consider not driving and also believe that things are 'high risk' when the risks are actually very low. the risks of HAVING a baby a higher than the risk of contracting listeriosis, does that mean you shouldn't have a baby - it is avoidable after all!

How exactly would you know what had caused it? You wouldn't - if you want to take this to extremes I could make out a case for being able to get listeriosis from practically anything.

People at work have to eat something for lunch - I can't see the difference between eating a sandwich that has been freshly made by a local caterer or eating one that I have kept in the fridge overnight myself. In fact the food hygeine they have is probably better. I wouldn't eat one of those machine ones that hang around for a week, however but then I wouldn't normally. As I said what is a pre-packed sandwich anyway? Because pubs etc often don't actually make them to order so should we avoid eating anything cold outside the house?

In this thread people have started to talk about avoiding travelling in cars and all sorts and it's got to a really scary level, I think.

At the end of the day everyone has to make their own decisions about what to eat and not eat. If I was mainlining herion then fair enough, have a go at me for being irresponsible but this has got way out of control.

I get what you are saying brettgirl but if someone lost a baby to listeriosis and knew that they could have easily avoided it by not eating that particular high-risk food (and ALL cook-chill foods are high risk, especially if you don't re-heat them properly, as well as pre-prepared salads and sandwiches) then the guilt would be harder to live with than if, say, you had taken the baby out for a walk and a dreadful accident had befallen them. They aren't really in the same risk category.