The Ministry of Solidarity and Health publishes recommendations to avoid the risk of poisoning among pregnant women, children and fragile people.
Children, pregnant women and the elderly or immunocompromised are the first concerned by these recommendations. They are the most vulnerable to the pathogens that these products may contain. Here are some foods to watch out for, especially during the holidays.
Charcuterie and raw fish
Apart from the debates on deli meats with nitrite salts, deli meats are likely to contain listeria, a bacterium responsible for listeriosis. This is also the case for raw, smoked or marinated fish, as well as shellfish or fish eggs.
Generally not serious, this infection contracted during pregnancy can have serious consequences for the unborn child. It is therefore necessary to avoid all types of deli meats, as well as seafood and raw, smoked and marinated fish.
Raw milk and raw milk cheeses
Since raw milk is not heated by definition, an incident during milking or an infection of the udders can lead to contamination of the milk by bacteria naturally present in the digestive tract of ruminants, despite the precautions taken by manufacturers.
Some of these bacteria are dangerous for humans, such as listeria, salmonella or escherichia coli.
Meat
Like raw milk, undercooked meat can contain bacteria that can cause serious illness. It can also harbor a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis.
This disease is generally harmless except for the fetus in utero in which it can cause significant malformations.
Regarding game, the flesh may contain traces of lead left by ammunition. Lead constitutes a risk for the cerebral development of the fetus and the child.
