Is Parma ham a no go?

[Firstpregnancy2014]

Have seen some conflicting info online
And everywhere says it's fine cooked...
But is it bad to eat it straight from the packet?
Waitrose had a lovely anti-pasti pack on offer so I bought it and now it's staring at me...

I neeeeeeeed Parma ham....

eat it. I would.

Technically there are about three foods that are actually ok to eat when pregnant.

I've been eating it. I think that UK advice is that it's OK? I'm quite cautious -I religiously avoid all blue / mould ripened cheese, pates, shellfish unless very well cooked etc. But I draw the line at avoiding everything that is advised against anywhere in the world (i.e. in the US, where the guidelines seem to be quite extreme and the stats aren't actually better than ours).

I know. I've been having it cooked but when I'm cooking with it I want nothing more than to scarf a few pieces. I did read on the nhs website that if you freeze it first for 4 days defrost that will reduce the risk. Not tried it yet.

I have had it! If its straight from a packet I would have thought it was fine. Better than being sat out in the air?

I'm sure NHS says its fine.

I had some on saturday. I couldn't resist it.

I would most certainly eat it pre packaged. The packaging will have kept it safer :)
I would be more cautious about buying it from a deli counter where it has been sitting out there .

I've been regularly munching on chorizo which I think is advised against in some countries - I feel a tad guilty at first but it just tastes sooooo good!!!

I eat it!

Yeah I'd eat it prepackaged. I had some chorizo the other day and am planning on having parma ham on my pizza this evening for dinner.

NHS advice here:

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

Be cautious with cold cured meats in pregnancy

Many cold meats such as salami, Parma ham, chorizo and pepperoni are not cooked, just cured and fermented, so there's a risk that they contain toxoplasmosis-causing parasites. It's best to check the instructions on the pack to see whether the product is ready-to-eat or needs cooking first.
For ready-to-eat meats, you can reduce any risk from parasites by freezing cured/fermented meats for four days at home before you eat them. Freezing kills most parasites and so makes the meat safer to eat.
If you're planning to cook the meat (for instance, pepperoni on pizza) then you don't need to freeze it first.
If you're eating out in a restaurant that sells cold cured/fermented meats they may not have been frozen. If you're concerned, ask the staff or avoid eating it.

NHS says it is fine but some women prefer to way to confuse us and guilt trip us without actual scientific evidence pop it in the freezer overnight and eat it after that. The freezing kills any parasites and it's still got the 'raw' taste/texture.
For the same reason, supermarket sushi and Yo! Sushi is OK because they freeze their raw fish.

...oh and because food prep/storage laws (and litigation situations) vary from country to country, never feel guilty about not following another country's rules! Ours are tailored to our food safety levels, best before dates etc' - along with things like our weather and how much of things we typically eat (e.g. in some countries they might eat a LOT of something such as liquorice so be told to limit it- whereas it's not an everyday food here in that way).

Prosciutto cotto literally means cooked ham and that's fine because it is exactly that. I'm only reiterating the cooked part because it can be eaten directly out of the packet without the need to heat/cook/freeze.

FYI: All other Italian deli meats are simply cured and not considered directly edible during pregnancy for fear of toxoplasmosis, if you're wondering or concerned. My husband is Italian and just last week I was in Italy and desperately wanted Bresaola (cured beef deli meat), but my in-laws were freaking out that I should even consider it. Pregnant Italian women won't touch any of it, if they've tested negative for toxoplasmosis.

Eat as much cotton as you want to your hearts content with no worries!!

It should say, "eat as much cotto ..." Victim of autocorrect

FYI: All other Italian deli meats are simply cured and not considered directly edible during pregnancy for fear of toxoplasmosis, if you're wondering or concerned.

NOT IN THE UK: they recommend freezing then defrosting it to kill the Toxo. It doesn't matter what Italian women do: guidelines vary from country to country based on a high range of local factors (including how common miscarriages/disabilities from toxo are - these are low in the UK using these guidelines. The UK has some of the lowest rates in the world alongside Denmark).

I've eaten tons of parma ham and been fine - it's whether you want to take the risk or not (I thought it was so tiny that it was worth it). I believe you're more likely to get toxoplasmosis from veg that hasn't been washed properly...

Hi. I'm eating cured meats; salami, chorizo, jamon iberico etc but I freeze it first and then defrost. This is following spanish guidelines for pregnancy

Petit yes indeed, in the UK that is the main cause! They don't play it up because it would be unhealthy to tell women to skip all fresh veg!
But as PP and I have said, there is a recommended way to kill of parasites which is to freeze it for 48 hr. So there's no need to weigh up the risks (would we say 'weigh up the risks' of eating a thoroughly washed and/or peeled apple- the prep recommended by the NHS?).