Kfc crushers safe during pg?

Dragoncookie - I agree, I've worked in fast food before and know the procedures they have in place re: cleanliness. Listeria is taken very seriously.

Alish - Of course you can have an opinion. I feel like you've been singled out for a remark that several of us have made, (including me) just in different words. :hug:

Cranky Kitten - I agree. Be educated, and minimise the risk, but don't lock yourself in a dungeon wrapped in cotton wool 'just in case'. That's no way to live.

N2L - Maybe you should take your own advice on this one? Not everyone is going to agree with you, and I feel like you're being really forceful with your own opinion. It's fine to disagree, but to resort to singling out another member is kind of lame. I often find your comments upsetting, but that could be the way I'm reading them too. You may think you're having a polite debate, but some might not take it the way you mean it. My thread yesterday is a great example for this. Sometimes we don't read things the way they're 'meant' to come across.

Danni & StrawberryFields - I agree. Chill out, people.

I just want to say that this used to be a place for women to share, laugh, and support eachother. Nowadays it's feeling more and more like there is a small percentage of people spoiling the fun by getting rather narky over small issues. Like the wording of a particular comment. Some of us feel the need to bust out the textbooks and google madly and start posting links to 'educate' those of us who are too dim-witted to agree with them. I find behaviour such as this really patronizing, and totally offensive. Yes it's important to get the right information out there, but nobody was saying anything in absolute terms. Merely giving their own opinions on how THEY would approach the issue.

I think it's important to remember that behind each little avvy is a real person, and reading emotion into text is HARD. So let's all take a chill pill and relax. Do we really need to get all riled up over a bloody milkshake? Seriously?!

Back on topic....

I steered clear of anything that could possibly contain soft serve last pregnancy and I'm doing the same this time but I take, what some would refer to as 'risks', with other foods and drinks I have during my pregnancies. I'll also admit that thick shakes and soft serves aren't something I'd normally eat/drink so I don't feel like I'm missing out IYKWIM. I have eaten the odd piece of soft cheese though because I love it, I eat it often when not pregnant and I feel comfortable eating Aussie cheese which a pasturised. Some wouldn't, I do - that's my own calculated risk.

Listeria is very, very rare these days but yes, it still can happen. I have several friend's who are midwives and only one (actually my friend's mum) who has seen a listeria case first hand in recent years so all the education to pregnant women must be having some effect. The mother she looked after (who was fine and the baby survived) had eaten chicken from a popular fast food restaurant. For memory she'd eaten it a day later, so cold out of the fridge.

The other case I'm aware of was just a few years ago. It happened to my friend's sister after eating freshly cooked prawns at their parents house :o Yes, who would have thought. Once again, both mother and baby were fine after a stint in hospital.

So it can and does still occur but it is rare. Being aware of the risks and making choices you're happy with is really all that matters.

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So it can and does still occur but it is rare. Being aware of the risks and making choices you're happy with is really all that matters.

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Totally agree :)

I was really cautious at the beginning of my pregnancy with listeria risk food. But after that magical 12 week mark I realised I wasn't eating much if at all. So I've been eating a few things on the 'naughty list' such as ham (in date and heated into toasties) no soft cheese here mainly because I don't like it lol. I've only been eating these bad items in moderation and I'm very careful where I eat them. For example, runny eggs I have on toast at home because I know I have a clean kitchen.

As for soft serve... I haven't been brave enough yet but its been one of my cravings. So no doubt ill tuck into one soon lol I'm sure if its in moderation it should be ok, but that's only my opinion anyway and not everyone will see how I see it.

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In case there are newbies (or those not aware of listeria) reading this thread, I just wanted to point out that moderation is not the key at all with listeria. It can be in any high risk foods at any given time. It doesn't matter if it's the first time or the hundredth time you eaten it, you can't see it or won't know if it's there. Moderation won't make a difference, it's deciding whether you're willing to risk it or not.

Also, just on runny eggs Lysndan, the risk isn't with cleanliness of your kitchen or utensils hon, it's the fact that they're uncooked animal products. Listeria (and salmonella in the case of chickens) thrive in uncooked animal products hence why pregnant women are also advised against eating any under cooked meats as well. All that said, eggs in Australia 'should' be pasteurised which 'should' make them safe (safer?) to eat runny or raw. Once again though, it's a risk and we all need to decide if we are willing to take that risk. My sister lived on runny eggs in both her pregnancies as she just couldn't live without them!! :lol:

Like I said earlier. Not everyone will agree with my opinion as I won't agree with some others.

It is definately a personal choice what you eat and how often you do eat it...

My OB has actually said to eat whatever I can at the moment (considering I have many food aversions this pregnancy) its good that my OB actually prefers me to eat lol and he said there's only been "very few" cases of listeria that he has treated in about the 20 odd years he has been delivering babies. Although its rare its still there. He says if you only eat things in moderation that your limiting your risk of exposure.

I'd also like to to point out that listeria is able to make anyone sick. Not only pregnant women, it can affect any one. So does that mean we should avoid crushers and soft serve and soft cheese for life? (gee I hope not lol)

Gosh I know a few people who have eaten soft cheese and all the high risk food all the way through their pregnancy. Their babies were fine.

Australia has very tight food restrictions put in place to prevent people from getting sick. Eg. Pasturising milk and milk products. Quarantine for sick animals that produce food eg eggs. It has to be of a pretty high standard. We are lucky to live in Australia raising and growing babies than raising them in third world countries without hygienic facilities to prepare food. I am greatful to be living in a country with such procedures in place to protect health.

Just my two cents...


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Whilst listeria is very rare these days, it is still very real. In regards to buying take away, you really are putting a lot of trust in the place making your food for you. When I was pregnant with DD3 a Cold Rock store near me was found to have listeria in their fruit. Most people seem to forget that fruit can hold listeria also. I love cold rock and I usually get it with 2 fruit mix ins. I am so glad I knew about listeria and it being found in fruit as I may very well have had an ice cream from that cold rock -as we have in the past.

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All that said, eggs in Australia 'should' be pasteurised which 'should' make them safe

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Genuine question, how do you pasteurise an egg?

A fresh egg cannot be pasteurised - so runny egg cooked at home is just as dicey as cooked elsewhere unless it's really close to being completely cooked (in which case reaches the critical 60 deg bacteria killing point).

Products made with egg (like mayo and custards) can be pasteurised as they can be heated to high temp after production to kill any bacteria that might be in there. So are much safer.

CK, this was what I thought too.

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A fresh egg cannot be pasteurised - so runny egg cooked at home is just as dicey as cooked elsewhere unless it's really close to being completely cooked (in which case reaches the critical 60 deg bacteria killing point).

Products made with egg (like mayo and custards) can be pasteurised as they can be heated to high temp after production to kill any bacteria that might be in there. So are much safer.

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That must be it then, 'egg products' only. See, I've been given the wrong advice by all my preggy egg loving friends!! :rofl:

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I'd also like to to point out that listeria is able to make anyone sick. Not only pregnant women, it can affect any one. So does that mean we should avoid crushers and soft serve and soft cheese for life? (gee I hope not lol)

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This is a very good question. The answer is that listeria is more likely to affect someone with a suppressed immune system (and pregnant women fall into this category). And whilst it may make anyone sick, the risk is far higher to an unborn child than to a healthy child or adult.

Personally I steered clear of anything soft serve when I was pregnant, and I never eat soft cheeses anyway (except philly which was safe yay :D). I agree with PP that everyone must make up their own mind what risks they are willing to take, but with listeria it is definitely not moderation that makes the difference as it could only take one exposure to have devastating effects. Or you could eat soft serve your entire pregnancy and have no exposure to listeria.

Its also worth keeping in mind listeria is a bacteria that is everywhere. In soil on fruit and veg etc, not just in the high risk foods. There are just the risk of higher concentrations in these foods which becauae of compromised preggo immune systems puts you at higher risk. General hygiene and food hygiene are also recommended in conjunction to high risk food avoidance. So you could avoid all these foods and still contract it if unlucky enough. The bacteria being everywhere means you would have some resistance I think to the infection, which is probably why cases are rare.

However common sense is all thats needed I think. No need to panic about things, and each person is entitled to make their own decisions about what is right for them.

My doctor told me that soft serve in general was thickened using animal fat ... though Maccas claims theirs isn't. It was a few years ago now but it turned me off eating soft serve forever. No idea if it's true or not. I just went looking for some info about soft serve and came across this ... Soft-serve ice cream: What's in there anyway?

Soft serve anyone? :sick:

ETA: I meant to say also that it is the animal fat that apparently carries the listeria :)

There are vegetarian soft serve mixes, the company I work for sells the mix to Mr Whippy style vans & ours is vegan :)

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My doctor told me that soft serve in general was thickened using animal fat ... though Maccas claims their's isn't. It was a few years ago now but it turned me off eating soft serve forever. No idea if it's true or not. I just went looking for some info about soft serve and came across this ... Soft-serve ice cream: What's in there anyway?

Soft serve anyone? :sick:

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Ummm, GROSS!

Knew there was a reason why I prefer a smoothie made from a bit of milk, ordinary icecream that I can pronounce the ingredients to, a dash of honey and a load of fruit :)

Eww!

Give me normal icecream anyday. I have a craving right now for vanilla with mini mandms and choc sauce....mmmmmmm

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Also, just on runny eggs Lysndan, the risk isn't with cleanliness of your kitchen or utensils hon, it's the fact that they're uncooked animal products. Listeria (and salmonella in the case of chickens) thrive in uncooked animal products hence why pregnant women are also advised against eating any under cooked meats as well. All that said, eggs in Australia 'should' be pasteurised which 'should' make them safe (safer?) to eat runny or raw. Once again though, it's a risk and we all need to decide if we are willing to take that risk. My sister lived on runny eggs in both her pregnancies as she just couldn't live without them!! :lol:

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Just wanted to add that most bacteria found in eggs, like that of listeria and salmonella, are there because the uncooked egg has touched the outer egg shell, or we have cracked the egg and not washed our hands before continuing on. Best way to aid prevention of transfer of bacteria is to wash the eggs well before you even crack them, then wash your hands after using them up. After all when you think about it, the eggs are not washed at the farm, and quite often they have chicken poop on them still (which consumers like because they look like real fresh eggs, not sure what fake edible eggs would look though!). Not to mention the odd feather and whatnot...
But that being said, bacteria will always be there.