FOOD SAFETY TIPS DURING PREGNANCY

Food safety is important for everyone, not just a pregnant woman. However, while "eating for two" a woman should be particularly cautious about what kinds of foods she eats, as well as how she handles food. Here are some tips to avoid food-borne illness during pregnancy:
- Avoid fish that are high in mercury, such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. Limit your intake of other fish containing mercury to 12 oz a week.

- Avoid uncooked fish altogether. This includes sushi, and especially includes shellfish such as oysters and clams.

- Certain soft cheeses, such as feta, brie, Camembert, Roquefort, blue-veined, queso blanco, queso fresco or Panela may cause listeriosis and should be avoided.

- Ready-to-eat meats, such as packaged deli or lunch meats may also contain listeriosis and should be avoided.

- Refrigerated pates or meat spreads should also be avoided.

- Be sure that all food you eat is cooked thoroughly so as to kill any disease-causing bacteria or parasites.

- Raw vegetable sprouts and fresh fruit and vegetable juices may contain salmonella and E. coli and should be avoided.

- Drink only pasteurized juices, as these should be free of such contaminants.

- Liver should be avoided as it contains high doses of Vitamin A which may be harmful to your baby.

- Be sure to follow safe food handling procedures when preparing food, including washing with hot soapy water before and after handling food.

- Always wash cutting boards, other work surfaces and utensils with hot soapy water after contact with raw poultry, fish or meat. Do not place cooked foods on the plate that held uncooked foods without washing the plate with hot soapy water.

- Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, removing dirt with a scrub brush.

- Set the temp in your refrigerator to 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below to slow the growth of bacteria.