Pregnant women are bombarded with literature about safe and unsafe foods. Meats are one of the biggest concerns due to the long list of potential health threats associated with eating under-cooked, processed or raw meat. Ground meat can be of particular concern as should probably be skipped during pregnancy.
Why is ground meat so dangerous?
Meat is rich in iron and lots of macronutrients the body needs to grow a healthy babyand maintain pregnancy weight gain, but ground meat may not be the ideal option. The bacteria found in meat, when the cut is intact, is located on the outside not the inside. When the meat is ground the bacteria on the outside is spread throughout the beef. Cooking the meat to high enough temperatures to kill all the bacteria is extremely difficult without overcooking the ground beef.
Is there any safer ground beef for pregnant women?
If you are craving a ground beef hamburger you can choose a safer alternative at mainstream fast food restaurants. These restaurants hold extremely high food safety standards simply because if one patron gets sick the entire chain of restaurants will suffer the consequences. The ground beef patties are slim enough to cook through while killing the bacteria that may cause harm to a pregnant woman or fetus.
That big, thick, juicy hamburger you've been craving is not the best choice during pregnancy. Stick with whole cuts of beef and other meats to reduce the risk of food born illness. Always insist ground meat is cooked through with an internal temperature no lower than 160-degrees F. Never leave ground beef out after cooking and if you're reheating a hamburger measure the temperature again to ensure a safe temperature is reached during the reheating process.