Pregnant women are at high risk for getting sick from Listeria, a pathogenic bacterium found in foods. Listeria can lead to a disease called listeriosis. Every year, 2,500 Americans become sick from listeriosis, with 1 out of 5 dying from the illness. Listeriosis can cause miscarriage, premature birth, serious illness, or even death for a newborn baby. If you are pregnant, you need to know what foods are safe to eat to avoid Listeria contamination.
Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, bologna, or other deli meats unless they are reheated until steaming hot.
Do not eat refrigerated pâté, meat spreads from a meat counter, or smoked seafood found in the refrigerated section of the store. Foods that don’t need refrigeration, like canned tuna and canned salmon, are okay to eat. Refrigerate these products after opening.
Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk and do not eat foods that have unpasteurized milk in them.
Do not eat salads made in the store such as ham salad, chicken salad, egg salad, tuna salad, or seafood salad.
Do not eat soft cheese such as Feta, queso blanco, queso fresco, Brie, Camembert cheeses, blue-veined cheeses, and Panela unless it is labeled as made with pasteurized milk. Make sure the label says, “MADE WITH PASTEURIZED MILK”
Richard J. Arsenault, 2010
