Safe Ranch Dressing...

mamathefox

Hi there! After a discussion started about what to eat and what not to eat started on our Facebook wall - I figured I would open it up here.

What creamy dressings (IE Ranch, Blue Cheese, Caesar...) are safe for us to have?

I have looked at my local grocery story (Giant Eagle) and some other organic stores (Earth Fare) and I cannot find any of them without egg yolks or with pasteurized cheese! I am craving them all so badly and would LOVE to get some if they qualify as safe. I know Hidden Valley is out... ( https://www.livestrong.com/article/273046-hidden-valley-ranch-dressing-nutrition/ )

 Help? I know someone out there has figured a brand out LOL :-)

elfchique

Have you seen that thing on pinterest where you take a ranch packet and mix it with greek dressing? 

 I don't make a big deal out of the 'don't eat' list during pregnancy. I even eat deli meat.   I'm probably not the biggest help. 

MCookie816

Ohmigosh!!!! We can't eat salad dressing either! I had not thought about this at all but I would assume that anything normal run of the mill (i.e. not gourmet and fancy) would all be pasteurized and such. The only salad dressing I skip is homemade Caesar from a little Italian restaurant we frequented during my last pregnancy because it did indeed have raw eggs in it. 

sassenma

elfchique:

Have you seen that thing on pinterest where you take a ranch packet and mix it with greek dressing? 

 I don't make a big deal out of the 'don't eat' list during pregnancy. I even eat deli meat.   I'm probably not the biggest help. 

Ditto.  I'd eat a shoe if it was deep fried and dipped in ranch dressing.  Hadn't even considered ranch being on the no-no list. 

wakelar

As long as the eggs/cheese involved is pasturized, you are good. Boneless wings, anyone?

Edit - if you are super concerned, https://allrecipes.com/Recipe/No-Mayonnaise-Ranch-Dressing/Detail.aspx

 

tcuhoneyb

I don't eat Caesar or Blue cheese but I have had Ranch several times. I had no idea this was on the "no eat" list. thanks for the link.

mamathefox

I get paranoid bc I know a kid who's mom wasn't careful and eat things and scooped cat poop and he got toxoplasmosis - He is okay right now (6th grade) but the worms in his eyes will slowly keep eating them and he will go blind. Its really sad, good kid.

RoxanneA

I know some will disagree, but "most" things are fine in moderation.  Moderation being the key word. This is my third pregnancy and so far my first two have been just fine eating blue cheese dressing or ranch from time to time.

BananaBlitz

mamathefox:

I get paranoid bc I know a kid who's mom wasn't careful and eat things and scooped cat poop and he got toxoplasmosis - He is okay right now (6th grade) but the worms in his eyes will slowly keep eating them and he will go blind. Its really sad, good kid.

WTF? 

ModernNewlywed

sassenma:

elfchique:

Have you seen that thing on pinterest where you take a ranch packet and mix it with greek dressing? 

 I don't make a big deal out of the 'don't eat' list during pregnancy. I even eat deli meat.   I'm probably not the biggest help. 

Ditto.  I'd eat a shoe if it was deep fried and dipped in ranch dressing.  Hadn't even considered ranch being on the no-no list. 

All of this 

AJKayakMomma

Ok I read the link, not seeing where pregos can't eat it though... Was it in small print? and speaking of ranch dip, I have some waiting for me now.

sassenma

BananaBlitz:

mamathefox:

I get paranoid bc I know a kid who's mom wasn't careful and eat things and scooped cat poop and he got toxoplasmosis - He is okay right now (6th grade) but the worms in his eyes will slowly keep eating them and he will go blind. Its really sad, good kid.

WTF? 

This was my exact response.  I semi-shrieked it and scared the dog. 

MCookie816

mamathefox:

I get paranoid bc I know a kid who's mom wasn't careful and eat things and scooped cat poop and he got toxoplasmosis - He is okay right now (6th grade) but the worms in his eyes will slowly keep eating them and he will go blind. Its really sad, good kid.

 Holy cow!! I am so glad I don't have cats right now! 

HarrietNJMommy

YogiKC0519:

mamathefox:

I get paranoid bc I know a kid who's mom wasn't careful and eat things and scooped cat poop and he got toxoplasmosis - He is okay right now (6th grade) but the worms in his eyes will slowly keep eating them and he will go blind. Its really sad, good kid.

But that was from scooping cat poop, not eating ranch dressing! Changing the litter has always been a big no-no, so that is obvious. Ranch on the other hand has not. I think you are safe. Don't be so paranoid or you won't eat anything!

I was just about to post the same thing. All of my PG friends with cats have their DH's scoop the cat poop. 

mamathefox

the link I shared mentions the Hidden Valley has egg yolks in it - that is the part we cannot eat.

 https://www.babycenter.com/0_toxoplasmosis-during-pregnancy_1461.bc#articlesection3

How is toxoplasmosis spread?

Experts estimate that about half of toxoplasmosis infections are caused by eating raw or undercooked infected meat, but you can also get the parasite by eating unwashed contaminated produce, drinking contaminated water, or handling contaminated soil, cat litter, or meat and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.

Toxoplasmosis can't be transmitted from person to person, with the exception of transmission from mother to baby during pregnancy or from an infected blood transfusion or organ transplant.

lildolcebaby

I think if it's shelf stable, it's fine.  Unpasteurized foods are very difficult to find, and wouldn't be sold in a big chain grocery store. 

BananaBlitz

The egg yolks are not raw in mass produced dressings.

JRianG

When was the last time you heard of a shelf-stable product causing a salmonella outbreak? It's usually the fresh stuff. 

MagMiche

Isn't this post all over the place? Haha!

I haven't heard of not eating ranch...BUT at my dr. appt yesterday I was telling my dr. about DH changing the litter box and my dr. said I would be fine to change the litter box...our cat is a big fat house cat, she wouldn't survive outside and he said it is fine it they are indoor cats. He didn't seem at all worried about Toxoplasmosis...I was shocked. So now my DH won't do it!

[Deleted User]

BananaBlitz:

The egg yolks are not raw in mass produced dressings.

Um, this. I'm pretty positive all salad dressings sold in the stores are pasteurized and therefore safe for pregnant women to eat.

dreamwinds

Like people on the FB page told you, most all cheeses in the US are pastuerized and safe. Brie, blue blue cheese, feta, whatever. Finding unpasteurized cheese is REALLY hard in the US these days.

Also, shelf-stable dressings with egg yolks are fine cause they have been pasteurized the hell out of to make them shelf-stable.

So get out your miracle whip and hellman's and eat it, but don't eat fresh mayo. :P

Did you post on here cause you didn't like the responses you were getting on FB?

LemonsQueeze82

Toxoplasmosis is not a worm.  Questioning that story...

Ditto on the no raw egg yolks in mass produced salad dressing.  That would be a public health nightmare that no big corporation is going to take on.

Pass the ranch, please  

 

The_Jen626

The stupid in here, it burns.

And now I want some boneless wings.  With RANCH.

AJKayakMomma

It would be nice if people were to do thier research before giving us false, do not eat lists.  And my dr said I could get my kitty tested and if he was negitive I could scoop the litter.

BootsOrHearts

Toxoplasmosis is a problem, I definitely stay far away from the litter. Although, most adults are probably already immune, especially if you've spent much time gardening (which I have, since I was big enough to hold a trowel). Still, I'm not going to risk it. I wear latex gloves now when I garden and make my husband duct tape them at the wrists. Possibly a bit over the top, but it is a really nasty thing for pregnant women to get.

Sharon&Paul

AMurphy2010:

It would be nice if people were to do thier research before giving us false, do not eat lists.  And my dr said I could get my kitty tested and if he was negitive I could scoop the litter.

 

You could, but why would you? I love the nine months of my husband taking care of the litter. Her never does it when I am not pregnant, so it is a nice break for me!

ladeebri

The_Jen626:

The stupid in here, it burns.

And now I want some boneless wings.  With RANCH.

LOL.  This all of this,

ladeebri

The_Jen626:

The stupid in here, it burns.

And now I want some boneless wings.  With RANCH.

LOL.  This all of this,

AJKayakMomma

Sharon&Paul:

AMurphy2010:

It would be nice if people were to do thier research before giving us false, do not eat lists.  And my dr said I could get my kitty tested and if he was negitive I could scoop the litter.

 

You could, but why would you? I love the nine months of my husband taking care of the litter. Her never does it when I am not pregnant, so it is a nice break for me!

 I haven't, I decided taking my kitty to the vet, running the labs and getting the bill was not worth it. Although its a pain nagging DH til he does it.

jessicaskyy

Yeah, I'm still gonna dip my pizza in ranch tonight. 

CP0979

Why would gardening make u more immune?

 

MagMiche

I just can't quit laughing at how this post went from Ranch to Toxoplasmosis and now to Gardening...

I am a Texan and we put Ranch on everything...not giving that up....and I'm still terribly jealous that your husbands are changing the cat litter...I was so hoping my dr. would back me on that one. He is very laid back about stuff!!!

ajp03d

sassenma:

Ditto.  I'd eat a shoe if it was deep fried and dipped in ranch dressing. 

 You're probably my most favorite post of the day. Just sayin...

Mrs.G123

The_Jen626:

The stupid in here, it burns.

And now I want some boneless wings.  With RANCH.

This. FML. 

BabyG_

The_Jen626:

The stupid in here, it burns.

This is full of win! 

cutebride73

Good lord!  I have never heard, read, nor been told that ranch dressing is not safe.  Especially as others have said, if it is mass produced and shelf stable it is fine. 

As for not scooping the cat litter, I haven't touched it since DH and I started TTC almost 3 years ago.  I will relish this as long as I can - hopefully, it will become permenant!!!     

Don't Hassle the Hoff

This post is ridiculous. I really, really wish people did research on the crap you're 'not supposed' to eat. A few points:

1-Toxoplasmosis is not how your friend's son got worms in his eye. Your friend's son somehow contracted feline roundworm and it went untreated, which is different from tozoplasmosis. I am not 100% sure, but I think that roundworm cannot be contracted through pregnancy in humans. Your friend's son most likely got it as a baby and had nothing to do with your friend during her pregnany.

2-The majority of products in the US are pasteurized. The only time you're going to find unpasteurized products is behind the fancy cheese counter in a really nice gourmet shop or grocery store or at a nice restaurant that makes their own ceasar dressing/hollandiase sauce/mayonaise, etc., NOT some mass-produced bottled dressing that you'd find at every single store in the country.

Please do some research on how unlikely it is to find unpasteurized things. Unless you've traveled outside of the country, buy your stuff at a farm stand, or have eaten at a very high end restaurant, the liklihood of you ever coming across something unpasteurized is very, very low.

hpoff33

I'm pretty sure Hidden Valley Ranch dressing or most any other brand name dressing is safe to eat.  Even with egg yolks.  My guess is that if they were raw or unpasteurized it would need to be labeled very clearly on the bottle.  There is a way to incorporate yolks that have been warmed to a particular temperature to kill off anything that might harm you.