Deli meats

[Anonymous]

I had an Italian sandwich at Potbelly's and ended up getting really sick--vomiting. The doctor told me not to worry, the baby would be fine, but in the future to avoid salami, which was in that sandwich.

But Potbelly milkshakes, as I know all too well, are fine (-:

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what about all other meats? Sausages (at a BBQ) if cooked properly would be completely cooked through and should be fine, no?

And salads with chicken are a no-no too?

If I'm reading the responses correctly only cooked meats in warm meals are okay.

That's my understanding. The issue is not whether it's cooked. The issue is that it's been allowed to cool and that temperature allows bacteria to run rampant. So reheating it will presumably kill much of the bacteria.

[Anonymous]

I believe the issue is whether a food gets contaminated at the manufacturing facility and then is not re-heated sufficiently to kill off the listeria. I think if you buy raw meat at the store and cook it yourself, it is fine to eat the leftovers cold.

[Anonymous]

I am 3/12 22:40 and I am now kind of freaking out about the chicken salad sandwiches I have been eating from the nearby deli for the last three weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am 3/12 22:40 and I am now kind of freaking out about the chicken salad sandwiches I have been eating from the nearby deli for the last three weeks.

Don't freak out. You would know by now if something was wrong with one of them.

[Anonymous]

I'm from Europe and looked at some European guidelines for pregnant women and it broke down very specifically all different kinds of meats.

In any case it said meats that were made while heating/cooking them through, like hot dog type sausages are fine. It also said hard deli meat that you can cut (as opposed to spread) like salami are fine too.

[Anonymous]

salads can contain listeria, as well as all deli meats. Just avoid the stuff, it is only 9 months for a lifetime of love

[Anonymous]

Actually, almost any foods can contain listeria, so just stop eating.

[Anonymous]

I second that, 13:30

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Actually, almost any foods can contain listeria, so just stop eating.

actually this is not a great answer to give to someone pregnant trying to protect the life of their child. There are foods that should be avoided, foods that should be heated, and foods that are safe. You could look them up on internet, but Listeria is real and it does harm/kill fetuses. For those not in the high risk group it is no big deal, but for those that are, it could have devastating consquences.

[Anonymous]

What if you make the chicken salad yourself (bake chicken and everything) and then eat it right away? I guess while the chicken is cooling out a bit that is when listeria bateria grows?

Also, what about cured meats?

[Anonymous]

Listeria is pretty rare (about 2-3,000 cases per year), so you should not freak out. That said, heat your deli meats. I can't see why a hot dog would be a problem since it is heated. I believe the recommendation refers to raw hot dogs. If you made your own chicken salad there would not be cause for concern. Chicken you make and cut up is not considered deli meat. Listeria occurs in the processing of food (outside the home). Therefore you could make chicken salad and bring it to work or whatever without concern.

It's like feta. Your OB may have said avoid feta. That is becuase feta used to be unpasteurized, but nowadays nearly all cheese is pasteurized. Thus, all soft cheeses that are pasteurized are safe to eat. Just read the label.

[Anonymous]

Seriously PP, you really don't know the answer to your question??? Yes you can eat chicken that you have cooked yourself and added mayo etc. to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you go to Potbellys, all sandwiches are automatically toasted, so the meat comes out steaming hot. At Subway, you can ask for your sandwich to be toasted, and that also comes out steaming. As for other delis, you can bring it back to your office and microwave the meat yourself. I am almost 37 weeks, and have been doing all 3 things, in case that helps you.

Potbelly toasts their sandwiches, but I don't think the insides get seaming hot--just the bread does.

[Anonymous]

I'm in my 7th month and have been avoiding deli meats. Often I replace them with avocado or bacon (BLTs). For cheeses I check the labels otherwise the standard deli counter hard cheeses are I'm sure fine. I think cooked eggs are fine too so I have been eating egg salad.