Big News on Listeria: Food Safety & Pregnancy

Big News on Listeria

If you’re pregnant, I hope you’ve already heard about listeria, a super powerful bacteria that can be found in cold cuts, premade sandwiches, cured meats, hot dogs, salami, ham, and even soft or unpasteurized cheeses. You need to know about it, because it can lead to miscarriage or stillbirth, and recently, it was found in a popular brand of ice cream out of Texas.

Blue Bell ice cream products including Scoops, Chocolate Chip Country Cookie Sandwiches, and Great Divide Bars, were found to contain listeria—and although they’ve been recalled from stores, some local markets may still have those products on the shelves . . . or you may have them in your freezer as we speak.

I’m not telling you this to freak you out or make you feel like you can’t indulge in an ice cream treat (mmmmm, rocky road!) but I do want you to be safe and to know the latest on what’s out there that could jeopardize your pregnancy. If you’re a Blue Bell fan (I do understand brand loyalty!) I’d branch out and try something new for the next few weeks until this is all taken care of.