Eating Prosciutto While Pregnant: Is It Safe?

Eating prosciutto while pregnant can be tempting.

Prosciutto is delicious and it has a unique taste that many people crave. We all know that pregnant women have cravings for many foods.

Hormones during pregnancy are working non-stop, and it can be hard to control cravings, mood swings, and similar. However, there are certain foods that should be avoided while pregnant.

They can be harmful to you and your baby, so no matter how badly you crave them, you have to avoid them. Luckily, there are many research studies that show us which food is safe and which isn’t.

Many women have their own individual pregnancy experiences, but you should always listen to professional opinions. You don’t want to jeopardize your or your baby’s health.

This article will give you information about eating prosciutto while pregnant. You will learn everything you need to know about this topic. So, let’s start.

Can You Eat Prosciutto When Pregnant?

Eating prosciutto while pregnant is not allowed if you want to eat it raw. Prosciutto and other cured meats are forbidden, but you can eat cooked prosciutto. So, if you’re wondering if can you eat prosciutto on pizza, or in a pasta dish, you’re safe.

As long as it’s well-cooked, baked, or fried, you can eat prosciutto while pregnant.

The temperature of cooking has to be very high, to kill all possible bacteria that could be dangerous for your health or your baby.

Why Is Raw Prosciutto Forbidden During Pregnancy?

Consuming deli meats, such as raw prosciutto while pregnant, is not recommended. Listeria is bacteria that can grow in meat and some other foods.

However, since we use heat to prepare our food, even if this particular bacteria is present, we kill it with heat.

Since prosciutto and other deli meats are usually consumed without being cooked or processed by using heat, there is a higher risk of Listeria.

It is very uncommon for deli meats to have this bacteria, but it’s not impossible. There are examples when people actually ate deli meat contaminated with Listeria, and had no symptoms.

Unfortunately, pregnant women are more sensitive to eating cured meats than other people.

The immune system during pregnancy is weaker, and women are at higher risk of everything. This is the main reason why you can’t eat prosciutto.

Listeria causes an infection in your body called Listeriosis. To put it simply, it’s food poisoning.

As a pregnant woman, you won’t experience so many symptoms. The main symptom of this disease during pregnancy is fever and fatigue.

It is uncommon to have other symptoms of Listeriosis like headache, muscle ache, stiff neck, convulsions, and confusion.

Maybe a fever doesn’t seem bad, but Listeria affects your baby too. If you get Listeriosis, you could have problems with your baby.

Miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature delivery are just some of the possible complications.

There are ways to treat it, but nobody can guarantee those will work if you’re pregnant. So, to avoid these dangerous complications, don’t eat prosciutto while pregnant.

It’s not safe to eat, and pregnant women can have fatal consequences. Make sure to protect your unborn baby by making safe food choices. Your pregnancy is in your hands.

Another germ that could contaminate prosciutto is Toxoplasma. Toxoplasma is a parasite that can cause an infection called Toxoplasmosis.

The symptoms of this infection are almost identical to Listeria symptoms.

Just like Listeria, Toxoplasma is far more dangerous during pregnancy. It can have a negative effect on your baby and your health as well.

Toxoplasma is found in deli meats and undercooked meats. It can also be found in other foods, but meat is the most common food to be contaminated by Toxoplasma.

I Accidentally Ate Prosciutto During Pregnancy

If you didn’t know that prosciutto and other cured meats are something you can’t eat during pregnancy, and ate it, don’t worry. It’s not recommended, but you can’t go back in time.

The chances for pregnant women to catch Listeria or Toxoplasma are 10 times higher. However, not all pregnant women who eat prosciutto when pregnant will get sick. So, you’re probably safe.

Just stay calm and see what happens. Pay attention to your health, and track your normal and unusual pregnancy symptoms.

You can consult with your doctor, and do some blood and urine test just to be safe.

The best thing is to wait a while and see if are there any symptoms.

It can be frustrating to determine what you can eat during pregnancy, but you have to worry about it. There is some information out there saying that it’s not risky to eat deli meats, but why risk?

Even the doctors will say that there is a small chance of getting sick, but there still is. It’s always better to be safe, than sorry. There are so many food choices that are safe for pregnant women. I am sure you can skip deli meats for now.

Everything is progressing every day, including the food industry. Maybe they will figure out a way to make deli meats safe for pregnant women. Until then, don’t gamble with eating them.

I know many pregnant women who ate prosciutto while pregnant. Everybody has a right to choose. I just think that there is no need to risk things because of certain food. Nobody can tell you that it’s 100% safe.

So, until you hear about a medical study that confirms the safety of prosciutto and other cured meats for pregnant women, find something else to snack on.

What Is Prosciutto?

Prosciutto is a type of deli meat, that originates from Italy. Prosciutto simply means “ham” in Italian.

Prosciutto crudo is a raw prosciutto, and prosciutto cotto is cooked prosciutto.

Prosciutto is a dry-aged meat, that is salty and filling. This is a type of cold-cured meat. Curing is a kind of food preservation by using salt.

It’s possible to use other ingredients to enhance the flavor of cured meats, but salt is essential. Other cured meats are salami, bacon, pepperoni, pastrami, etc…

In Europe, these cured meats are very popular to eat as an appetizer or as a snack with alcohol. It’s made from dry-aged pork legs.

It’s important to find good meat to make prosciutto. Preparation is quite simple. It’s important to clean and prepare pork legs.

After that, it’s time, to begin with the salting process, which is essential.

The salt draws out blood and moisture from the meat. The meat has to rest for a few weeks in order for salt to work. Without blood and moisture, it’s almost impossible for bacteria to contaminate the meat.

Besides, salt is also essential for the great taste of prosciutto. After a few weeks of resting the meat, it’s important to wash it and season it.

When it comes to seasoning, there are many recipes. It all depends on the flavor you wish to achieve. People use spices, herbs, garlic, and similar things to add that perfect touch.

After the seasoning, it’s time for the dry-aging process. The dry-aging process lasts about 14-36 months, in a controlled temperature and environment.

As you can see, the process of making prosciutto is not difficult, but it takes time, patience, skill, and knowledge. So, it’s not a big surprise that everybody likes prosciutto.

Maybe you’re a big fan of this food, but it’s better to wait sometime no matter how much you like it. After all, your priority is safe pregnancy and your baby’s health.

If your prosciutto is cooked at a high temperature, and it’s actually crispy-  then you can eat some.

If it’s raw and soft, then avoid it. If someone from your family is consuming a lot of prosciutto, you can ask them to stop or at least hide it from you.

Explain that you like it and that you crave it. Then, explain how harmful prosciutto can be for your health and your unborn baby.

I am sure that they will help you to get through this because they want you to have a safe pregnancy.

Your pregnancy is not just important to you, but to other people too. If you ask for support to resist something, I am sure you will find it.

Conclusion

Taking care of your diet during pregnancy is much harder than it seems. You’re hungry, and you know that you should be eating more.

However, there are many things to remember that are crucial for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

After all, pregnancy itself is overwhelming and difficult to process. The best thing to do is to ask your doctor.

Don’t hesitate, and ask everything you want to know. It’s okay to ask, you can’t know everything. Another great thing is self-education.

Luckily, there are many books and online resources that will teach you how pregnant women eat.

Most foods are safe to eat, but it’s important to learn those foods that aren’t safe to consume during pregnancy.

Consuming prosciutto should be avoided.

There are other foods that are tasty and good for you.

Prosciutto and pregnancy simply don’t go together. I am sure you’ve heard of this somewhere before, but this article gave you the explanations you needed to hear.

Pregnant women can eat more and it can be hard to resist some things. Unfortunately, some foods are off the limits, and you shouldn’t take risks with them.

One day, you will eat whatever you like, but right now, you have to think about your pregnancy and your baby.

Pregnancy is stressful and full of challenges. You have to worry about yourself, your baby, food, drinks, birth, and everything else that is connected to pregnancy in any way.

Personally, I think that knowledge is the best power. If you make an effort to learn some important things about pregnancy, your baby, and health in general, you will be much more confident and stable.

If you want to get rid of some other food dilemmas, you can read some of our other articles that will be helpful.

Sea food is also a mystery during pregnancy, so make sure to read about eating octopus and clam-chowder while pregnant.

You will know all those crucial things to avoid and you won’t make any mistakes that could be fatal. So, try to find a way to learn important things, and be interested. It’s not just about safety, it’s also about preparation.

It’s more important to learn what is forbidden during pregnancy, but it’s also good to learn things that can make pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period easier. So, don’t be lazy and get to work.