If you're wondering 'can I eat mayonnaise while pregnant'? the answer is 'yes' and 'no'. You see,
mayonnaise can have a salmonella and listeria risk during pregnancy,
so if you want the simple answer, then stay away... but if you want to listen in,
I'll show you how you can eat mayo safely during pregnancy. Stay tuned!
Hello! If this is our first time connecting, welcome! My name is Melanie McGrice and I'm
a pre and postnatal dietitian. I help couples give their baby's the best start possible with
the power of good food. If you haven't done so already, make sure you download my free pregnancy
meal plan from melaniemcgrice.com/pregnancy to help you optimise your pregnancy diet.
So, in this video we're looking at the question 'can I eat mayonnaise while pregnant?'
The key reason for the concern is that mayonnaise can contain raw egg,
which puts it at risk of salmonella toxicity. Salmonella toxicity is a type of food poisoning
which causes vomiting and diarrhoea. During pregnancy, it can cause miscarriage.
As I mentioned earlier, if you want the simple answer,
then choose a different spread (such as avocado or extra virgin olive oil instead),
but if you want to eat mayonnaise, then ask yourself the following questions...
Question 1: Does it contain raw egg? Traditionally, mayonnaise is made from raw egg.
These days, many commercial mayonnaise manufacturers use pasteurised eggs.
Pasteurization is a process whereby eggs are rapidly heated to destroy salmonella bacteria.
If eggs are pasteurised (or the chicken's laying the eggs are vaccinated which is
what tends to occur in the UK and Europe), the mayonnaise will no longer be a salmonella risk.
Most commercial mayonnaise companies will label their products as pasteurised,
but if you purchase it from the non-refrigerated aisle in the supermarket,
you can be confident that it is most likely safe from salmonella.
Question 2: Has it been kept in the refrigerator? Once opened, even mayonnaise made from pasteurised
eggs should be kept in the refrigerator. The reason for this is that at room temperature,
other bacteria which can also harm your baby, such as listeria, can grow. Being an acidic
food helps to keep bacteria at bay, but evenso, bacteria grows much faster at a tepid temperature,
so avoid mayonnaise that has been sitting at room temperature for over two hours.
Question 3: Is it within its best before date?
Even if it is made with pasteurised eggs and kept in the refrigerator,
if it has been sitting there long enough, it could still be a listeria risk. Listeria monocytogenes,
the bacteria that causes listeriosis, can continue to grow, albeit much more slowly,
even in the fridge. So, check the best before date, and if it is too old, throw it out.
So, as long as you're using a pasteurised mayo, it's been kept in the refrigerator
and it is within its best before date, it should be fairly safe. However, during pregnancy, it is
safest to avoid mayonnaise and other egg-based sauces and dressings from cafes and restaurants
as it is difficult to know how they've been made and stored. This also goes for salads and dishes,
such as potato salad or pasta salad, that have mayonnaise or egg-based dressings.
And, don't forget that tartar sauce, ceasar sauce, aioli, bearnaise sauce,
hollandaise sauce and ranch dressing, are all simply variations of mayonnaise,
so if they contain uncooked egg, the same guidelines apply to them too!
Finally, whilst you may be able to consume these types of mayonnaise from
a listeria/salmonella perspective, I still want to caution you against eating too much,
as studies have found that mayonnaise, being high in 'bad' saturated fats,
contribute to a Western-type diet which has been associated in higher body fat levels in infants.
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See you again soon!