It Safe To Eat Pizza During Pregnancy?

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Do you want to relish a slice of pizza during your pregnancy and wondering if it is okay or not? Well, you are not alone, then, many would be moms think the same before ordering pizzas. So what’s the truth? Is it harmful?
A tasty, delicious and easily available Italian delicacy that is a favourite of people in every corner of the globe is pizza. However, when it comes to consumption by expecting mothers, even the safest foods need to be consumed with caution. Pizza sometimes contains ingredients that are potential carriers of harmful microbes which, on consumption, may affect you and your baby’s the health.

Problems with Pizza During Pregnancy:

The otherwise safe-to-eat pizza can sometimes pose health issues during pregnancy. You should be aware of the kind of pizzas that are safe and carefully choose your toppings. A few concerns associated with pizza ingredients are:

1. Cheese:

The generous layer of cheese over the pizza, which is a prime reason behind its wonderful taste can be a cause of concern to eat pizza during pregnancy.Mould ripened cheese such as soft wind rind cheese like brie, chevre, and camembert are unhealthy to consume while pregnant. Also soft blue veined cheese like gorgonzola Danish blue, gorgonzola and Roquefort should be avoided.
Soft cheese contains more moisture than hard cheese. These conditions of soft cheese make it the ideal ground for harmful bacteria like Listeria to grow in. Listeria rarely causes infection otherwise, but may prove harmful and cause Listeriosis in fragile would be moms. However, even the slightest form of illness in you can be dangerous directly causing harm to your foetus.

2. Raw, Uncooked and Cold Meat:

Pizza containing rare, undercooked or cold meat, like Parma ham, salami, pepperoni, chorizo etc., in their toppings can lead to toxoplasmosis. This is an infectious disease which is caused by parasites present in soil, untreated water and meat. If you during your pregnancy get infected with any of these parasites, it can cause severe damage to your baby. There are no identifiable symptoms of toxoplasmosis but when suspected, you should immediately consult a gynaecologist and seek treatment.

3. Shell Fish:

Pizzas containing shell fish toppings like prawns, scallops and mussels, if not cooked thoroughly, can cause bacterial and viral infections. Expecting moms should refrain from consuming such shell fish containing uncooked pizzas in order to avoid harming your baby.