Cured/cold meats

[freakedmum]

Hi,
Just joined the site and have a question.
Just found out that eating cold deli meats from the supermarket are not advised unless fully heated before consumption.
I've eaten ham from supermarket a few times since finding out I'm pregnant, but now i looked at the packet we usually buy and it says its actually cured, and 'lightly steam cooked'.
I know cured meats are even more of a no no, as they aren't cooked, and don't know how cooked 'lightly steamed' means. Obvs won't have it again but don't know if I've already put myself at risk

[pinkpompomispretty]

Do u mean sandwich ham and things like that? Or things from a deli counter? Or things like uncooked pepperoni?

[Aliama]

NHS advice is that Ham is fine to eat,

Pre-packed meats like ham and corned beef are safe to eat in pregnancy. Some other sites (maybe from other countries such as the USA) may suggest that you avoid pre-packed meats in pregnancy but here in the UK we do not.

NHS advises caution with cured meats like chorizo, Parma ham etc, which may not be cooked.


www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/foods-to-avoid-pregnant.aspx#close

[freakedmum]

Pinkpompomispretty, i mean sandwich ham, really, the stuff that's vacuum packed and in the fridges.
Thanks Alaima, I saw the nhs guidlines, but seemed to be conflicting advice on other sites. Then as it said on the packet cured and steam cooked, i didn't know if it ws fully or only partly cooked xx

[JustDanni]

it is totally fine to eat packed ham, chicken or beef!
Only be wary of uncooked, dried meats like salami etc and if you do fancy it then pop it under the grill for a few mins til piping hot.

As long as the meat has been stored correctly in the fridge and is consumed within the recommended time after opening then there isn't much to worry about.

[squizita]

Freaked In America they have different packaging/storage rules for shops and these can vary state to state. Thus, their advice is more cautious than ours because it takes that into account. They are also more litigeous of course, which many American Ob/Gyns point out contributes to the cautious advice.

In the UK, use the UK guidelines i.e. NHS. Our food hygiene rules mean sandwich ham is very low risk.
If anything, our lysteria rates are LOWER than in the USA (although there it varies from state to state).
Ham is safe if you buy it in date, store it in the fridge and eat within 2-3 days as per the pack instructions.

[squizita]

...sorry forgot to say.

Lazy content for many smaller websites = just use what comes up 1st on google = often American.

I go by NHS, then maybe Mumsnet and BBC. They are big, professionally written sites based in the UK.