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Pregnant Women: Take Control of Your Food Safety

October 24, 2006

When women are pregnant, their risk of developing foodborne illness increases and even a mild case of food poisoning can have serious consequences. Protect yourself and your unborn infant from foodborne illness by practicing good food safety habits.

Pregnant women should take special precautions when shopping for, handling, preparing and storing food since you are more vulnerable to foodborne illness. Do not eat meats, poultry, seafood and eggs that are raw or undercooked. Also, unpasteurized dairy products like raw milk and some imported cheeses can pose safety threats to pregnant women.

Everyone, not just pregnant women, can help prevent food poisoning by taking control of food safety in their homes and by following basic food safety tips:

• Wash hand often.
• Keep raw foods and ready-to-eat foods separate.
• Cook to proper temperatures.
• Refrigerate promptly below 40 degrees F.

Produced by ADA’s Public Relations Team