“Because soft serve is typically stored at refrigeration temperature - around 0 to 5 degrees Celcius - and because ice cream is high in moisture, listeria can grow quite quickly in it,” he says.
The fact is, soft-serve ice cream is made with pasteurized milk, which is safe for pregnant women. Soft serve continues to be safe but only if it is hygienically stored. This is the key to being able to enjoy soft-serve ice cream.
McDonald's ice cream does not contain egg (the milk in the ice cream is pasteurised).
During the first trimester of pregnancy, listeriosis may cause miscarriage. As the pregnancy progresses to third trimester, the mother is more at risk. Listeriosis can also lead to premature labor, the delivery of a low-birth-weight infant, or infant death.
The good news is that listeriosis in pregnant women is very rare in Australia and New Zealand. If you avoid soils and foods at risk of being contaminated it's very unlikely that you will be infected. It is also important to follow safe hygiene habits when preparing and cooking foods.
Symptoms may appear as late as 2 months after you have eaten something with Listeria. Many pregnant women do not have any symptoms. Even if you do not feel sick, you can pass the infection to your fetus.
Soft ice cream and processed products should be fine as they are made with pasteurised milk and eggs. This means that any risk of salmonella food poisoning has been eliminated. If it's homemade ice cream you're after then make sure you use a pasteurised egg substitute or follow an egg-free recipe.
For instance, you could choose a grilled chicken sandwich or a salad with grilled chicken. Additionally, you should make sure to balance your diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. It is generally safe to eat McDonald's during pregnancy, but it should be consumed in moderation.
As this is commercially made, it usually contains pasteurized milk and/or cream. The main issue is the machine that dispenses it. The soft-serve machine maintains the liquid ice cream at a cold, but not freezing temperature, and then dispenses it in its traditional 'whipped' form.
The Filet O Fish is safe to eat in pregnancy and has marginally more nutrients. The cheese is safe to eat but skip it if you can as it just adds fat and calories. Mcdonald's tartar sauce is safe in pregnancy as it's pasteurized. Mcdonald's Chicken nuggets, selects and other breaded fillets are safe to eat in pregnancy.
Can you eat a McDonald's McFlurry or sundae when pregnant? Like shakes, McDonald's ice cream sundaes and McFlurries are made with pasteurised milk products.
Yes. The Food Standards Agency recommends that pregnant women shouldn't take more than 200mg of caffeine a day.
The official advice on eating McFlurries in pregnancy
NHS Wales says that soft ice cream is safe to eat in pregnancy, provided it's made with pasteurised milk and eggs. All McDonald's dairy products are pasteurised, so it should be fine for you to tuck into a McFlurry.
Nutritional Information
Ingredients: Milk, Sugar, Cream, Corn Syrup, Natural Flavor, Mono And Diglycerides, Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Vitamin A Palmitate.
Good news, McDonald's milkshakes are probably safe to drink in pregnancy. However, if you're concerned, you may want to check with your midwife.
According to Fitness and Lifestyle Performance Coach Ben Greenfield's website, your McDonald's craving could be a sign that your body is low on essential fatty acids, calcium, iron, and/or chloride, and that you're experiencing stress hormone fluctuations.
It's generally recommended that pregnant women avoid consuming fast food, including KFC, on a regular basis. While KFC can be a convenient and tasty option for a meal, it is typically high in calories, fat, and sodium, and may not provide the balanced nutrition needed during pregnancy.
And yes - it's pasteurised. So you run about as much a risk with a mcdonalds milkshake or mcflurry as you do with anything you eat in a restaurant.
The fact that the meat is heated to a high temperature before serving greatly reduces the risk of any bacteria surviving in it. Therefore you can eat chipped beef during pregnancy if it's fully heated and cooked.
Pregnant women in their third trimester are most vulnerable to contracting the illness, but it's possible to get infected at any point during pregnancy. If you begin experiencing these symptoms, contact your doctor and inform them of any food you recently ate. A blood test can confirm a diagnosis of listeriosis.
Subway sandwiches are safe for pregnant women to eat if they're heated until hot, rather than just warm. This means either microwaved for a few seconds or having the sandwich toasted – sometimes a little more than normal.
Listeria infection can spread from mom to baby through the placenta, but it's not a sure thing. So even if you get listeriosis, baby might not.