Would you eat a McFlurry whilst pregnant?

[BumgrapesofWrath]

I know I am supposed to avoid whippy ice-cream because of the risk of Listeria. However, I'm thinking it's more of a risk from an ice-cream man who doesn't clean his equipment thoroughly. Surely McDonald's is very concerned with health and hygiene so their McFlurrys should be ok to eat in pregnancy surely? What do you all think?

Oh, bloody hell, ive just clicked on that NHS limnk, only to find out that they've changed the advice on cold meats during my pregnancy! One week and two days to go, and it's now safe to have salami and Parma ham? Bastards! I've been craving them for months and in September they were still on the banned list. I can understand advice changing between babies, but really.

Right. I'm off to Tesco. Grr.

openerofjars I suppose they could have a future 2 month ban on people getting pregnant just so that the guidelines never change during a pregnancy

But surely on this basis eating out or buying food from pretty much anywhere might carry a risk of food poisoning? Really then you'd only be safe eating what you'd bought and cooked yourself. Don't see that happening. I agree with Zoe Williams (Guardian writer) that very often dietary advice during pregnancy is based on little or no evidence or is presented as much more risky than is absolutely the case. The one thing I would scrupulously avoid is alcohol - for anything else I would use my own judgement to assess the risks, and I think the risk is low that a McFlurry (among all sorts of other variables) would cause a problem.

And I'd love a McFlurry now. May have to ask DH to bring one on his way home

I was so careful for dc1 then realised that the guidelines published are actually v. v. changeable, so for subsequent babies I have denied myself nothing (within reason, still no blue cheese and a few other things, shark).
We live in a world where it's now ok to eat sushi whilst pregnant NHS advice here and I personally think it is all down to stringent hygiene and environmental health checks in this country - ALL sushi must be frozen to -20C before serving which kills anything and everything.
Of course I would eat a McFlurry, I have no doubts about McD's cleanliness. I would hesitate at a Mr Whippy van though, as hygiene could be an issue.

I had one when I was preg, didnt really think about it at the time!

No, I wouldn't. I don't find it a hardship not to eat soft ice cream, and can see the logic of the recommendation, so wouldn't bother.

But Pesto - what recommendation? On the NHS website someone called Susie from NHS Choices directly states in reply to a question underneath the guidelines it is ok to eat this type of ice cream - here.

All seems a bit much?! This is all news to me I had no idea and on DC2 now. With the amount of McDonalds I have craved in both pregnancies there have definitely been a number of them consumed! I will be honest and say I can pretty much guarantee I will eat one again if I fancy one.

Yeah, Chipping, and they need to take your contact details at your booking in appointment so they can email or text you with updates along these lines:

"Dear JARS, you are now 39 WEEKS pregnant and your baby will be born very soon. You may be getting tired, sore and cranky, but looking forward to eating all those delicious things we arbitrarily told you not to eat for months on end, just in case. Well, guess what? We have only just now randomly decided that Stilton cheese, sushi and fecking Parma ham are now A-OK! Enjoy your last week of pregnancy! Love, NHS Choices. PS However, we have decreed that lemon sorbet, dried thyme, chips of any kind and tiger bread are banned forthwith, just for a laugh. Bite us."

Well I had a Mr Whippy when I was pregnant and read afterwards that you're not supposed too! I was fine, but if I had known I wouldn't have risked it just in case!

Is noone else going to arf at Mr Whippy not cleaning his equipment? Really?

I'm sure McFlurry is fine though.

I won't arf, but I may barf

dontlaugh well, for example here from 2010.

But it's 2012 now, surely advice from this year is safer than advice from 2010?

Yes but only while I waited for my big mac and mahoosive fries portion

I remember a study (years ago- like c. 1989) that took samples of Mr Whippy from various ice cream vans and the findings were not good (in terms of traces of urine and faeces etc- i.e. icecream van men are filthy fekkers). However, to be fair to the Golden Arches, I know no-one who's ever got food poisoning from their food and from working there myself, I know that the hygiene standards are v v high (borderline anal).

I personally would have no issues with a McFlurry.

Btw, I think the liver/pate thing is more about avoiding foods high in Vitamin A than listeria (although again, if you had a single bit of pate on toast, prob not a problem- more if you crave the stuff and are eating a lb a day)

Surely a better piece of advice would be "dont eat in places where you think they might have poor hygeine." Both times in my life I've had food poisioning it's been from cooked chicken- not on the banned list

I didn't even know that! Sure I must have had some.

No, although the machines do get cleaned every night what about the ice cream that's left in the dispensing nozzle between servings? It just sits there allowing bacteria to build up. Personally I don't find it difficult to avoid or switch to an alternative for 9 months. Although the risks are probably minimal, it is still a risk that I wouldn't take. Why not just get some different ice cream

Is it a myth that mcflurries contain liquidised chicken bits then? gullible emoticon

I had a craving for mcd's caramel/toffee sundae yesterday it was yummy! Half way through I remembered that mr whippy ice cream is on the no list in my book but i still finished it. it was too good and with my morning sickness it was only thing I ate all day!

I don't and wouldn't, but that's because i used to work in a place that used a similar machine to what they use in Maccies. dirty 'orrible things and a bugger to clean out... just takes one tired employee that wants to get off home to miss a bit and the whole thing goes rancid. But hygiene is so strict in places like Macdonalds so its probably not anything to concern yourself with. Its more about hygiene than ingredients I think.