Pate - is there ANY I can eat?

[weeblueberry]

DP just had pate and oatcakes and (while I sat glaring at him silently willing him to burst into flames) I wondered whether there was any kind of pate I can have? Is it just ones based in liver that are a no no? Could I have smoked salmon pate or crab pate?

From what I understand there are 2 issues with pate. With liver based ones it's partly the vitamin a. You shouldn't have too much, but a bit of pate is unlikely to be excessive amounts unless you're eating loads.

With all pates, liver based and other ones including fish, there could be a listeria risk. The risk will be tiny, it's more being confident about where it's from and that it's in date.

Personally I'd feel fine eating pate I've bought packaged from the supermarket or that I know is freshly made. I'd just be more cautious about ordering it in a restaurant when I don't know how it's been kept or how long it's been hanging around.

Technically no, you can't eat pate. But I do.

You could make some yourself? I imagine mackerel pâté would be good for this. I think smoked salmon isn't 'allowed' as its raw, and chicken livers have vit a in them, but you could make little bit as a rare treat I'm sure?!

I hate liver taste thwt pâté leaves in my mouth...but I found a mushroom pâté that my vegetarian freinds ate. It is delicious and quite meaty (being mushroom) spread on hot toast. Might go and buy some today...yum! You could look for liver free pâté recipes online, I bet the are loads.

I ate paté all the way through both my pregnancies ( am in France, it's the law :) )

I either ate home made or bought from suppliers I trust to answer honestly as to when it was made etc. With liver paté not too often because of the vitamin A.

The NHS choices site says that you should avoid all pâté including vegetable pate as there is a risk of listeria. As petiteR says other countries are much more relaxed about these things!

I'd go for a home made mackerel or smoked salmon pate - in fact I may have to go and get some mackerel, cream cheese and lemons at lunchtime!

I eat pate, you just weigh up the risks yourself. I think the risk of too much vit a is exceedingly low from a tiny bit of pate on a cracker, and you are more likely to get listeria from salad iirc.

Hi, advice is to avoid butI really wouldn't worry about it. I read an article last year about this soft cheese and pate business and it said in essence that there have been a handful of listeriosis cases in the last 50 years (or something like that) and not all of those in pregnant women. It was in the Guardian, I'll try and find it.

I truly feel that it is scaremongering

Here is the article. I don't know how to link, sorry. Scroll down to the listeria section.

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2007/may/29/health.medicineandhealth

Thanks everyone! DP suggested last night that pate that is completely sealed and from a well known brand should be okay if I eat it fresh from opening. I'm inclined to agree with this given the ever so slight risk. I'm happy eating pate that's not based in liver so could have the Cauldron veggie stuff or mackerel pate if the vit A content is the issue with chicken liver stuff.

Thank you notdueforages for the article - very helpful.

You can eat some liver, just not very much due to the vit A thing. When I was pregnant I would spread liver paté thinly onto a piece of bread and limit myelf to once or twice a week. Everything in moderation:)

You know, that article is good. Where she says the listeria hysteria is all about ready-to-eat-foods is so true.

I have had pate a handful of times - fresh from a packet from a reputable source ie not from deli counter - or the cut-your-own-slice pate at the buffet at the 2* hotel in spain!).

I make homemade mackerel pate - smoked mackerel, cottage cheese, spoon of horseradish sauce and squeeze of lemon juice and mash or blend - is great and v v healthy.

Pootles smoked salmon is fine to eat :)