Can you eat beef carpaccio when pregnant?

Can you eat beef carpaccio when pregnant?

Imagine...

You are on vacation. Well deserved, long looked forward to, in preparation the most beautiful dresses shopped, you know. La Bella Italia. Surrounded by the world's most delicious carpaccio's, antipasti, cured hams, and cheeses. Sì! But, at the start of the trip, you find yourself with a positive pregnancy test in your hands. In Verona, the city of star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet, that is. In less than 9 months, you will be La Mamma! You can't believe your luck. So in love. Until you suddenly realise... That all those delicacies you've been swooning over for months are suddenly passing you by. Inhuman, isn't it? Oops. So we're going to take a closer look at the question of all questions. Can you eat beef carpaccio when you're pregnant?

Beef carpaccio when pregnant? La Bella Italia

First things first. During your pregnancy, it is not recommended to eat raw meat. Why is that? In raw or half-cooked meat such as carpaccio, there is a chance of bacteria growth that could be harmful to your baby. These include listeria bacteria and toxoplasma parasites. If you become infected with one of these, it can have consequences for your pregnancy and the baby in your belly. That is why the advice is: it is best to eat thoroughly cooked meat. But then again, I understand that you don't want a well-done steak - let alone a heated carpaccio. So is there a way to eat raw meat? A loophole in the law? So that you can still enjoy your beloved carpaccio or a steak tartare?

To start with: views differ. On the good old internet, there's a lot of stories going around but especially (unsalted) opinions, which makes it hard to come to a clear answer. Juicy! We put everything in a row:

  • To stay in line with the story above... Plenty of women think eating carpaccio when pregnant is complete bullshit. Because of raw meat! And, how hard is it to leave out your favorite food for 9 months. You have your baby's best interests at heart, right? Nutritionists advise heating raw meat. The bacteria growth stops when freezing, but the bacteria themselves do not die; they can grow again after thawing. Conclusion: just don't do it. Sounds logical, right?
  • On the other hand, several women say that you can eat carpaccio when you are pregnant because it is cut in the frozen state. The same goes for steak. You can eat them raw after freezing. Freezing the meat kills bacteria (er, correction: stops bacterial growth). Fair enough, but how long does carpaccio have to go into the freezer? That's where it gets a bit fuzzy. From 48 hours of freezing to 72 hours of freezing or 96 hours? And what temperature should the freezer be set to? -12°C, -18°C, or -20°C? Conclusion: if you freeze carpaccio (or steak) immediately after purchase, set the freezer cold enough, and leave it in the freezer for at least two days. Then you can eat it raw. Buon appetito!

So, tell us! Is carpaccio on the menu tonight? Or would you rather wait until after giving birth?


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