Eating cured meat?

[weeblueberry]

We're having a celebratory lunch here at work today and while I mentioned to my boss I couldn't have sushi, I didn't really say anything else and she's gone and got cured meat.

Now the NHS website says:

Don?t eat raw or undercooked meat.
Cook all meat and poultry thoroughly so there?s no trace of pink or blood. Take particular care with sausages and minced meat.
Some countries advise pregnant women not to eat cold meats or smoked fish because of the risk that the food may contain listeria bacteria. In the UK, pregnant women are not advised to avoid these foods because the risk of infection is so low. However, if you?re concerned, you may choose to avoid them.

What do you guys think? Would you have a little or completely avoid it? I'm 11+1 if that makes any difference...

I would eat it personally. Most listeria cases (and there are very few in any case) have been traced to bagged salads tbh.

By the way, you can eat sushi if any raw fish has been frozen first. Most caterers/shops will have frozen the fish (and will tell you if you ask), and obv vegetarian sushi and sushi made without raw fish is ok.

Thanks sleepyhead. I think I'll have a wee drop and just not go overboard! :)

you can eat sushi unless it's "proper" fancy sushi, supermarket/catering company sushi is fine. Just need to watch the regularity with tuna etc, you can have it but not too regularly

you can also eat supermarket smoked salmon/parma ham etc because of the way it's processed. Catered cured meat will be fine

The reason why cold or cured meats may contain listeria is if they are sold out of a deli sitting around with other salads etc.

I avoid delis in general (all of it) but do eat cured meat and sometimes packs of supermarket sushi

pre-packed salad is actually your biggest risk AFAIK

Haha now I'm worried about the prepackaged salad as opposed to the meat.

Stupid question maybe but will rinsing it in clean water make a difference?

Yes. You should wash all salad unless it says "ready to eat".

You can have sushi and cured meat

I'm in the US where deli meat is big, and I've been told that I should avoid deli meat unless I blast it in the microwave first and let it cool down (think Subway's official recommendation is to avoid their deli meat sandwiches and just go for the chicken breast/veggie option).

lolajane The NHS site seems to think you shouldn't? Either way I've eaten it so hey ho lol.

For the sushi I'd probably have some if I could be certain it's been frozen but if not I'd skip it. :)

The NHS site was changed in May this year to say cured meat like Parma ham is ok. They believe the curing has much the same effect as cooking ie kills the bacteria.

There are a couple of different NHS pages about food in pregnancy and one has this update but not all.

This article is interesting on parma ham. It has to be the good stuff though. Any excuse...