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 You are here: Home / MyPyramid for Pregnancy & Breastfeeding / Food Safety
MyPyramid for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding


Food Safety: Keep you and your baby safe from listeriosis Divider

Listeria is a harmful bacteria. It can be found in some refrigerated, ready-to-eat foods. You are much more likely to get the disease caused by Listeria—called listeriosis—when you are pregnant. It can be transmitted to your unborn baby even if you are not showing signs of illness.

Follow this advice to prevent listeriosis:

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 after opening.

Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk. Do not eat foods that have raw 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 made with pasteurized milk. Make sure the label says, "Made with pasteurized milk.”

Ask your health care provider if you have questions about listeriosis and pregnancy. To learn more, visit these websites:

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Learn more:

  Food Safety for pregnant and breastfeeding women
  Keep you and your baby safe from toxoplasmosis
  Eating fish while you are pregnant or breastfeeding
  For more information about food safety

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