Why is Food Safety so Important in Pregnancy?

When you are pregnant, your immune system becomes weaker, making it more difficult for your body to fight infections. This means you and your unborn baby are at more risk of getting food poisoning (also known as foodborne illness). Foodborne illnesses can be more serious during pregnancy and may lead to miscarriage or premature delivery. Bacteria, parasites, viruses or chemicals that can be in food may cause nausea, vomiting (throwing up), diarrhea (runny poop), fever, chills and abdominal (stomach) cramping. Food poisoning can be even more dangerous to your baby’s health than to yours. Some foodborne illnesses, such as Listeria and Toxoplasmosis, can infect your unborn baby, even if you do not feel sick.

The good news is food poisoning is preventable. You can practice safe food handling while you are pregnant to lower your risk of food poisoning. Safe food handling means shopping for, storing, cleaning and cooking food safely.

Keeping Your Food Safe

When shopping for food:

Pick up cold or frozen food at the end of your shopping trip.
Check the best before date on your food.
Prevent bacteria in raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood from spreading to other foods in your cart by putting them in individual plastic bags.
Wash your reusable grocery bags or bins often.

When storing food:

As soon as you get home, store raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood in containers or plastic bags on the bottom shelf of your fridge. This will prevent raw juices from dripping onto other food.
Store cut fruit and vegetables in the fridge.
Cook raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood by the “best before” date, or no more than two to four days after buying it. Freeze it if you do not plan on cooking it by the “best before” date.
Keep hot food hot and cold food cold
- Bacteria can grow quickly between 4°C and 60°C and cause food poisoning. This temperature range is called the “danger zone.” Avoid letting perishable foods sit at room temperature for more than two hours or outdoors in the summer for more than one hour.

When preparing food:

Wash your hands often – after you touch raw meat, use the washroom or touch pets.
Thaw your foods safely.
- Defrost raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood in the fridge, microwave, or in a sealed bag or container in cold water. Avoid defrosting items on the counter at room temperature.
Use a scrub brush to wash fruits and vegetables with firm skin (e.g. carrots, potatoes, squash).
Use one cutting board for ready-to-eat foods, and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood.
Use a meat thermometer to avoid eating meat that is undercooked. See this chart for the proper temperatures to cook meat so it is safe to eat.
Reheat leftovers until they are steaming
- Cook to a temperature of at least 74°C (165°F).
- Bring soups and sauces to a rolling boil.

For more tips, see Health Canada’s website.

Safer Food Choices During Pregnancy

Some types of foods have a higher risk of causing food poisoning for pregnant women because of how they are made or stored. Sometimes you can heat these foods to kill any harmful bacteria before eating or there are other similar foods you can eat instead to reduce the risk. Below are common foods and ways that you can prepare them more safely, or other foods to try instead. For a complete list, visit Health Canada’s website.

Type of Food	Foods to Avoid	Safer Alternatives
Dairy products	Raw or unpasteurized dairy products Unpasteurized and pasteurized soft cheese such as Brie and Camembert. Unpasteurized and pasteurized semi-soft cheeses, such as Havarti. All unpasteurized and pasteurized blue-veined cheese	Pasteurized dairy products and any dairy products that are cooked, in a casserole or au gratin. Pasteurized cheeses such as cheese curds, cheddar and cottage cheese. Pasteurized processed/spreadable cheeses such as cream cheese Pasteurized and unpasteurized hard cheeses such as Romano and Parmesan
Hot dogs	Hot dogs straight from the package, without heating	Hot dogs that are well cooked to a safe internal temperature. The middle of the hot dog should be steaming hot, or 74°C (165°F)
Meat and poultry, Deli meat	Raw or undercooked meat or poultry, such as steak tartar. Non-dried deli meats, such as bologna, roast beef and turkey breast	Meat and poultry that are cooked to their safe internal temperature. See the Internal Cooking Temperatures Chart. Dried and salted deli meats, such as salami and pepperoni. Non-dried deli meats that are heated well and steaming hot.
Eggs and egg products	Raw or lightly cooked eggs or egg products that contain raw eggs, including: some salad dressings cookie dough cake batter sauces drinks (like homemade eggnog)	Egg dishes that are well cooked to a safe internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) Cook eggs until the yolk is firm
Seafood	Raw seafood such as sushi and sashimi. Raw oysters, clams and mussels. Refrigerated smoked seafood.	Seafood cooked to a safe internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) Oysters, clams and mussels that are cooked until the shell has opened Smoked seafood in cans, or seafood that does not need to be refrigerated until it is opened.