Things you should know about food safety during pregnancy

(NC) Anyone who is or has been pregnant will be familiar with the concept of “eating for two.” After all, the food a pregnant person consumes is also, indirectly, eaten by the baby – or babies – growing inside them. But, by the same token, if the parent consumes something that will make them sick, the baby can be affected, too.

Food poisoning can be painfully uncomfortable, but for an unborn baby whose immune system hasn’t developed enough to fight off infection, it can be devastating. In fact, if you have food poisoning during the first three months of a pregnancy, it can cause a miscarriage. Later in pregnancy, it can still cause stillbirth or your baby to be born seriously ill.

For this reason, many types of food are best avoided by pregnant people. The list includes sushi and other raw seafood, unpasteurized dairy products, raw or lightly cooked eggs and deli meats that have not been dry-cured. Another thing to abstain from is uncooked bean sprouts as they have multiple surfaces that are hard to clean and remove bacteria from.

If you are pregnant or someone in your household is, you should be extra vigilant about food safety practices. These include thoroughly rinsing all produce before cutting it, keeping raw meats separated from other ingredients and using a digital food thermometer to verify that your food reaches a safe internal temperature when cooking.

Cooked food should be stored in the fridge or freezer as soon as possible after the meal is done, and definitely within two hours. Otherwise, you risk food entering the “danger zone” of 4°C (40°F) to 60°C (140°F) where bacteria can thrive. You won’t be able to tell by smell, sight or taste if something is contaminated so, to be safe, dispose of anything that’s been left out too long.

Finally, know that there are limits on how long foods can be stored. Cooked foods can be kept in the fridge for three to four days. They can be frozen for two to six months and later defrosted and reheated.

Find more tips at canada.ca/foodsafety.