How Safe Is Deli Meat in Pregnancy? The Truth About Listeria

How Safe is Deli Meat in Pregnancy?

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve already seen the ad showing a seemingly happy and healthy pregnant woman eating Hormel Natural Choice deli meats. Why did I post their ad? Because I think it’s irresponsible at best, and dangerous at worst. Here’s the thing: Roughly 85 percent of illnesses from listeria, a bacteria that can cause miscarriage, are from deli meats.  And as evidenced from the comments on my post, there’s a lot of misinformation out there about food safety and pregnancy.

I’m not here to be a finger wagger, or to make you feel bad about your choices, but I do want to clear the air and ensure that you have the real facts when it comes to what could harm your child vs. what BBDO, Hormel’s advertising agency, thought would look cute in a magazine.

First off, I know the ad is about the kind of deli meat you’d eat at home, but I wanted to also raise a flag about eating deli meat out. A recent study showed that 70 percent of delis in three states were tested positive for listeria contamination at some point over the course of a six month study. That’s right—70 percent. So, if you don’t want to risk miscarriage, I’d nix grabbing that sub sandwich at the corner shop until after baby’s here.

Now, you might think that eating pre-packaged deli meat bought at the market and stored in your squeaky clean kitchen is a lot safer, but there are still some facts you must know. Although any bacteria on your lunch meats is killed when it’s processed and packaged at the factory, the minute you open it, it can be re-exposed to bacteria that can grow on the meat and pose a serious threat to your pregnancy. In an interview, Jeff Sinclair, a  professor of meat science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has said that once cold cuts are opened, they could be exposed to listeria on a countertop, or even in the air. Once that happens, the bacteria flourishes in the fridge and can cause catastrophic harm.

Personally, I stayed away from deli meats entirely during my pregnancies. Why risk it when we know there’s a danger? But if the only thing you’re craving during pregnancy is deli meat, and you really don’t think you can give it up for the safety of your baby (of course you can—but I know some women won’t), you need to know the rules. The CDC warns that the longest you should keep opened deli meats or cold cuts in the fridge is five days (even if it looks and smells fine—you can’t see or smell listeria!). Additionally, during pregnancy, cold cuts should never ever be eaten cold.  If you must have your turkey wrap or chicken sub, always, always heat the meat up to at least 165 degrees before eating. What does 165 degrees look like? Steaming hot—which will likely take more than the 10 seconds in the microwave that some doctors are recommending.

That’s where I have to take issue with Hormel once again—the woman pictured in their ad isn’t eating a piping hot sandwich—she’s eating a salad with deli meat. A salad. Now, how many people are going to top their salad with a few slices of steaming hot meat? Not many, I’d bet. The cold cuts they’re picturing are well, cold, and thus, absolutely not recommended during pregnancy.

I’m not trying to induce some sort of panic, or suggest that women should live their pregnancies out in fear—far from it. I think that knowledge is the best weapon against fear and anxiety. When we know what’s safe and what’s not, we can make educated choices and protect ourselves and our families. I know the advertising people behind this ad are just trying to sell a product, but what they’re suggesting is dangerous and could lead to a lot of tragedy for so many families.