does anyone eat Japanese handrolls/californian rolls (non fish)?

[leanne30]

a silly pregnancy question....

does anyone eat the handrolls/californian rolls from take away Japanese places? you know, the ones with a green seaweed outer layer, rice in the middle, and filled with various things? i LOVE them, the vego ones (like avocado and carrot), but i am paranoid that they have been prepared on the same chopping board as the raw fish ones! am i being silly?

[Mimi's Mum]

Hi Leanne,
I love those sushi rolls to, but i couldn't bring myself to take the risk. I didn't feel confident at all that they would prepare them separately so i just decided that i would have to wait like with all the other great foods like kabana, soft cheeses and salami. I went and bought a heap the week i was due and hubby bought them up to hospital after the birth..

You could always try and make them yourself, takes a bit of trial and error, a few $ to set up but worth a try.

[Bathsheba]

I ate them throughout all my pregnancies but having worked in commercial kitchens (and being fussy about the standard of food outlet I eat from) I only ate them from places that looked very very clean with a high turnover. Never had any problems. Still i wouldn't say to everone to eat them regardless... but cross contamination can occur anywhere... just be careful all the time, not just regarding sushi outlets. You could order a "safe" meal in a restuarant and not be 100% certain they have followed the cross contamination rules... I think minimising the risk by only eating at very reputable places is the more important factor.

[Rouge]

Rice can be a carrier for listeria not just the fish so if you do get it make sure its freshly made.

*hugs*
Cailin

[pansy]

I never ate them when I was pregnant as I was a bit paranoid about listeria.

I did crave them though.

[Fruitloop]

I've steered away from them, as Cailin has said, rice can also harbour listeria. But definitely if a place has a high turn around the risk of this should be minimised. As with everything in pregnancy, personal choice hun *hugs*

[Pandora]

I ate them, but the place i get them from make to order, so they aren't sitting around. Or I made them myself.

[Amelia]

I eat them all the time but the place I get the from like RayRay makes them to order!! But I must admit I don't have the patience like she does to make my own!!

[Lukesmum]

Yes I would stay away because of the rice more so than the fish. Why not make them yourself at home with freshly made rice. They are easy to make and you can buy the seaweed at superamrkets now not just asian shops. My hubby is Japanese so we eat it a lot.

[Inanna]

It is not advised you eat these purchased whilst pregnant. As Cailin said they can and do harbour listeria. In fact rice is a high risk food if it has been pre prepared and refrigerated. Which it is very often in preparation of these yummy rolls.

If you make them at home and eat them fresh it's fine. But don't make them at home and refrigerate and eat the next day.

If you go to the australia nz food standards web site it clearly lists this as a food issue in pregnancy.

[bebebebe]

I must admit I did eat them when pregnant. Occasionally from takeaway places. But, I really tried only to have them made fresh from our local Japanese restaurant-- and I asked them to make sure they were made separately to the fishy ones. They said they ALWAYS make them with separate utensils etc in case someone orders veggie rolls who is allergic to fish -- makes sense, however, I doubt if most places do the same.

On a side note, I spoke to a girl from the UK recently who was preg and was so surprised when I said that I didnt eat sushi during preg. Does anyone know if it's generally more leniant in the UK re: preg and eating certain foods? maybe it was just this lady.

[julesy]

Ii couldn't get enought of the cooked tuna ones (although never more than twice a week because of mercury) when i was pregnant, but it was always from the sushi train, and I asked them to make one fresh for me. This sushi train also has an incredibly high turnover, so I know the rice is cooked that day.

Go the omega 3 for smart babies!!!

[Willow]

Nope, I'd never eat them unless I made them myself (and even though I crave them badly, I've been too lazy to so far!) - the listeria risk is just way too high for me.

Even if they are made fresh, you still don't know how long ago the rice was prepared or if it's been refrigerated.

Can't wait to eat a truckload after bub arrives though! This is by far the hardest food to give up for me, there are so many fantastic sushi places in the city where I work!