A walk around your kitchen: food safety for pregnancy

“Thou preparest a table before me”, the psalmist writes (Psalm 23:5), and there is something holy about the ordinary kitchen table: the place where meals are made, prayers are said and family gathers. In pregnancy, a few simple habits in the kitchen help keep that table safe. Your immune system changes while you are pregnant, which means some food infections, such as listeria, salmonella and toxoplasmosis, can affect you and your baby more seriously. The good news is that good kitchen habits prevent most of them.

Let us take a walk around the kitchen together.

At the sink

• Wash your hands with soap and water before cooking, after handling raw meat, fish or eggs, after touching soil, pets or bins, and after using the toilet.
• Wash fruit and vegetables well, including salad leaves, to remove any soil, which can carry toxoplasmosis.
• Do not wash raw chicken. Splashing spreads germs around the sink. Cooking kills them.

At the chopping board

• Use a separate board and knife for raw meat and fish, or wash them in hot soapy water before using them for anything else.
• Prepare salads and ready-to-eat foods before handling raw meat.
• Wipe down surfaces with hot soapy water or a kitchen cleaner after preparing raw meat.
• Change or wash kitchen cloths and towels often.

At the cooker

• Cook meat and poultry until it is steaming hot all the way through, with no pink or red in the middle and juices that run clear. This includes sausages, burgers, minced meat, suya and grilled chicken.
• Cook fish until it is opaque and flakes easily.
• Cook eggs until the white and yolk are solid, unless they have the British Lion stamp in the UK.
• Cook ready meals according to the instructions, until they are steaming hot throughout.
• Cook soft, mould-ripened cheeses until steaming hot if you want to eat them.

At the fridge

• Keep your fridge at 5°C or below. A cheap fridge thermometer helps.
• Store raw meat and fish covered, on the bottom shelf, so juices cannot drip onto other food.
• Keep cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods covered on higher shelves.
• Eat food by its use-by date, and follow storage instructions after opening.
• If the power goes off, as it often can, keep the fridge door closed as much as possible and be cautious with chilled food that has been warm for some time. When in doubt, throw it out.

Leftovers

• Cool leftovers quickly and put them in the fridge or freezer within about two hours.
• Eat refrigerated leftovers within two days.
• Reheat food until it is steaming hot all the way through, and only reheat it once.
• Take extra care with cooked rice. Cool it quickly, keep it chilled and reheat it until it is steaming hot.

Out and about

• Choose freshly cooked, hot food from busy stalls and restaurants.
• Be cautious with food that has been sitting out for hours, such as buffet dishes or food left uncovered at parties.
• Avoid pre-cut fruit that has been sitting uncovered in the sun.
• Carry hand gel or wipes for when soap is not available.

Beyond the kitchen

• If you have a cat, ask someone else to empty the litter tray. If you must do it, wear gloves and wash your hands well afterwards.
• Wear gloves when gardening and wash your hands after touching soil.
• Avoid close contact with sheep and lambs during lambing season, as they can carry infections harmful in pregnancy.

When to call

Call your midwife or doctor if you develop a high temperature, flu-like symptoms such as aches and chills, vomiting or diarrhoea that does not settle, or if you feel unwell after eating something you are worried about. Some food infections need treatment in pregnancy, so it is always worth checking.

Not a burden, but a blessing

These habits can feel like a long list, but most become second nature within a couple of weeks. And if you slip up, please do not spend the night worrying. Most of the time nothing happens at all. Ask your midwife if you are concerned, then let it go.

If you share a kitchen, share this list too. Your husband, partner, family or housemates can help keep the table safe for you and your baby.

A prayer at the stove

Lord, bless this kitchen and the food that is prepared here. Guard my body and my baby from harm. Help me to cook with care and to serve with joy, and may every meal at this table be a reminder of Your goodness. Amen.