The risk of taking homemade mayonnaise in pregnancy

During pregnancy the consumption of raw foods is one of the main sources of high-risk pathogens. For example, cheeses made with fresh milk may contain Listeria monocytogenes, raw sausages may be carriers of Toxoplasma gondii and raw fish and shellfish may contain anisakis. Sometimes you forget that

During pregnancy the consumption of raw foods is one of the main sources of high-risk pathogens. For example, cheeses made with fresh milk may contain Listeria monocytogenes, raw sausages may be carriers of Toxoplasma gondii and raw fish and shellfish may contain anisakis.

Sometimes you forget that the main ingredient of homemade mayonnaise is raw egg, one of the foods not recommended in pregnancy. We tell you what are the dangers of taking homemade mayonnaise in pregnancy.

Why should not take homemade mayonnaise in pregnancy

Listeria monocytogenes is a food pathogen of great importance during pregnancy, because it can cause abortions, premature births or even the death of the fetus depending on which quarter it contracts, But pathogens, such as anisakis, do not directly affect the baby, but can cause a stomach reaction, and sometimes allergic, of some seriousness in the mother. In the case of Toxoplasma gondii, the risk of contamination by sausages is minimal, but it seems advisable to take extreme precautions.

The recommendation of not consuming raw eggs or any type of sauce made with them, is based on the probability of contracting salmonellosis, a food intoxication whose symptoms and consequences, although not excessively serious under normal conditions for an adult, are aggravated during pregnancy, causing harm to the baby. Therefore, the most advisable thing is not to consume homemade mayonnaise in pregnancy.Mayonnaise is an emulsion made from egg and vegetable oils that is used as cold sauce in a multitude of dishes. Although the dishes prepared at home tend to be healthier and more nutritious, in microbiological and / or food matters, in the particular case of mayonnaise, it is generally the other way around.

Homemade mayonnaise involves emulsifying raw eggs with oil, while the commercial version, which can be found in supermarkets, is made with pasteurized eggs .Pasteurization is a thermal process that tries to control the pathogenic microorganisms of the food

without excessively altering its physical and chemical properties, or its organoleptic characteristics. In fact, its objective is not to eliminate all microorganisms, but only to reduce microbial populations so that they do not cause food poisoning. This treatment can be more or less aggressive in terms of time and temperature, and also, it varies depending on the food that is pasteurized. The whole egg and yolk are somewhat more resistant than the egg white, which only admits temperatures below 60ºC. To guarantee the destruction of Salmonella, the treatment of the product at 64.5ºC during 2 and a half minutes is usually considered valid, increasing the time if a possible contamination by abnormally high Salmonella is considered.

It is possible to pasteurize eggs at home, keeping them at a temperature lower than 65ºC for 4 minutes, although, from the microbiological point of view,

during pregnancy it is still safer to use commercial mayonnaises .Even if they seem excessive, prohib food prohibitions during pregnancy try to protect the health of the mother and the baby por, so it is convenient to follow them during the 9 months of pregnancy.