Pregnant and ice cream

1. During pregnancy you have to be extra careful about what you eat. Some products may contain dangerous bacteria or parasites that can lead to miscarriage or birth defects if infected. For example, soft ice cream can in some cases be contaminated with Listeria, so it is not recommended to eat it during pregnancy. But what about scoop ice cream, such as Italian ice cream from the ice cream parlor or ice cream from an ice cream cart?

Preparation

1. Industrial ice cream

Ice cream during pregnancy

1. Industrial ice cream is a safe product for pregnant women, as long as it is kept cold and hygienic work is done. There is a risk of Salmonella contamination with homemade ice cream. Salmonella can be dangerous for pregnant women because it can make them very sick. However, salmonella cannot reach the unborn child, because it cannot cross the placenta. As a result, a Salmonella infection during pregnancy is not directly dangerous for the unborn child. There is also a risk of Listeria contamination if the ice cream is prepared with raw milk. Listeria can lead to miscarriage during pregnancy because the bacteria is able to cross the placenta and infect the unborn child. However, scoop ice cream prepared with raw milk is hard to find and it is almost always mentioned. For all scoop ice cream that is not made from raw milk, the risks of a Listeria contamination will be many times smaller than with soft ice cream. This makes it easier for women to choose ice cream instead of soft ice during pregnancy.

2. Industrial ice cream is a safe product for pregnant women, as long as it is kept cold and hygienic work is done. There is a risk of Salmonella contamination with homemade ice cream. Salmonella can be dangerous for pregnant women because it can make them very sick. However, salmonella cannot reach the unborn child, because it cannot cross the placenta. As a result, a Salmonella infection during pregnancy is not directly dangerous for the unborn child. There is also a risk of Listeria contamination if the ice cream is prepared with raw milk. Listeria can lead to a miscarriage during pregnancy, because the bacteria is able to cross the placenta and infect the unborn child. However, scoop ice cream prepared with raw milk is hard to find and it is almost always mentioned. For all scoop ice cream that is not made from raw milk, the risks of a Listeria contamination will be many times smaller than with soft ice cream. This makes it easier for women to choose ice cream instead of soft ice during pregnancy.