Help! I may have eaten unpasteurized fresh mozzarella

KrisMichFlow

I'm freaking out. I went out to eat with family at some local fancy Italian restaurant and ordered fried mozzarella without asking if it was pasteurized. When I got home, I felt like I made a huge mistake, so I called the place just to put my mind at ease. The guy there was unsure and went to check and then told me "Well...It doesn't say it's pasteurized." ummm...ok? Damn it, I feel so stupid and irresponsible, I don't know what to do. I was thinking that all restaurants have to serve pasteurized products. should I call my doctor or am I just being paranoid? 

taliasorokin

I say you're being paranoid-- you will be fine.

Where I live the gyns give practically no recommendations as to food except "don't eat raw meat or fish"  and I've been eating all kinds of crap and finding out from the internet that I'm not supposed to after the fact, lol. Your little one is fine, just avoid it next time 

meggyme

If you're not feeling any effects you're fine. The major risk with food is listeria, which you're just as likely to get eating spinach as you are sushi. As long as you're not eating at sketchy restaurants I wouldn't worry too much. During my pregnancy the only thing I didn't do was alcohol. Sandwiches, occasional sushi, cheese. Just be discerning and you'll be fine. Otherwise it could feel like a long pregnancy.

jennielynn+

You said it was fried, this means it was heated in hot oil well beyond anything listeria could withstand. Also, if you are in the US, typically homemade/housemade mozzarella would still be made with pasteurized milk. Like ppl said, just monitor yourself for symptoms but, maybe look into pasteurization process and listeria to ease your worries. 

Linsbins

Almost nothing says pasteurized. If it's not, it has to be labeled "unpasteurized" but not the other way around. So if it didn't say, it should be pasteurized. Plus what pp said about frying, so you're fine.

PattersRN

You'll be fine, risk of Listeria is still low.  FWIW, I've eaten soft cheeses, deli meats and undercooked eggs thoroughly my entire pregnancy and no problems.

penelope4612

I agree with PP - the risk that you'll get listeria is low for all the reasons they've stated.  Also, listeria can be treated so if you get symptoms call your doctors and let them know.  

SnarkasaurusRex

Agree with all PPs. Try not to be super paranoid about everything (I am a huge worrier, so I know that it's tough), or it is going to be a looooong pregnancy.

lovesclimbing

If you look hard enough, you'll find reasons not to eat anything. I've drank raw milk multiple times this pregnancy. I get it from my grandpa, and I believe raw milk is better for you (waaaay more nutrients) than the pasteurized stuff you get at the store. 

I also continue to eat fish including smoked fish (stay away from high Mercury fish, sure, but salmon and lots of others are just fine), I eat deli meat without heating it through, I eat raw cookie dough and lick the cake batter bowl, and I eat alfalfa sprouts on sandwiches. 

Probably unpopular, but I think most food restrictions whether pregnant or not (obviously, unless you have an allergy) are a load of crap. I'm a big believer in everything in moderation. 

The risks with most food restrictions while pregnant is listeria. According to the CDC, about 1,600 people get sick each year in the U.S. from listeria and only 14 percent of those are pregnant women. So sure, you could be one of those 224 pregnant women who gets it and had complications, but the odds are pretty small. Additionally, I doubt all 224 of those women got it from eating a raw milk product, so the risk is even smaller. Don't worry!

https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/risk.html