Speck in pregnancy: is it among the cured meats that can be eaten?
Could bacon in pregnancy be harmful to the health of the mother or baby? Doubts about nutrition in the 9 months before childbirth are commonplace and completely normal. Can a cured meat like speck be eaten without problems or should we be careful? In this article we answer all the questions, but first there is a video below with the foods to watch out for during pregnancy.
Characteristics and nutritional values of speck
Speck is a type of salami that is well known and widely consumed throughout Italy. There are different types produced with various cuts of meat including bacon, shoulder, coppa or carré. However, Alto Adige speck is the most valuable since it is obtained directly from the pork leg. The term speck in German means lard, and in the past the types of cured meats such as speck were quite widespread because they allowed to extend the duration of the meat as much as possible: there were no refrigerators and the only way to succeed in this intent was to resort to seasoning and smoking.
One of the main characteristics of speck in the past was the fat, useful for reaching the minimum caloric requirement to withstand the harsh temperatures in the Südtirol areas. It is a raw cured meat not bagged, spiced with a mixture containing salt, pepper, rosemary, juniper and bay leaf in variable percentages. The final phase of speck production is smoking, interspersed with drying phases, to ensure that the product acquires the well-known flavor that characterizes it.
Can pregnant women eat speck? Before discovering it, it is good to know that 100 grams of speck provide on average about 300 calories, just over 10% of the daily caloric requirement of an adult man.
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Speck in pregnancy: prohibited or allowed?
One of the main rules of feeding during pregnancy is to avoid all types of raw foods: this is why, for example, raw ham in pregnancy should be avoided for all 9 months before giving birth, especially if the expectant mother has never contracted it in the past. toxoplasmosis.
The same goes for speck in pregnancy, but if the desire overwhelms us and we just can't resist its smoky taste, we must try to stay away from temptations, because, although speck is smoked, it cannot be defined as a cooked salami. Seasoning and smoking are two processes that do not expose the product to high temperatures and therefore the risk of bacteria such as toxoplasmosis, is high.
If you really can't resist and the craving for speck in pregnancy attacks you, opt for a dish in which the speck is cooked: pizza margherita with speck in cooking, pasta with speck and walnuts in the oven, diced speck in a rustic cake . There are many recipes that lend themselves well to welcoming this salami and you will be sure not to take any risks.
Speck in pregnancy and toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis is a "very serious infection, especially if contracted during pregnancy. It is triggered by the bacterium called Toxoplasma Gondii, easily found especially in raw meat and therefore also in cured meats. In fact, this bacterium can also end up in fruits and vegetables through the feces of dogs and cats deposited in the soil. Therefore, not only cured meats, at the base of toxoplasmosis there can also be fruits and vegetables that will be consumed only after having perfectly washed and disinfected them. In the specific case of vegetables, when possible, it is better to proceed with cooking.
If in normal conditions it is not dangerous at all, toxoplasmosis becomes dangerous for those who are pregnant: in fact, the infection can pass to the baby through the placenta, causing malformations or even spontaneous abortion and death in utero.
Here are the typical symptoms of toxoplasmosis that should never be underestimated. Two phases can be distinguished:
Phase 1
- swollen lymph glands
- tiredness
- headache
- sore throat
- bone pain
- fever
- enlargement of the liver and spleen.
Phase 2
Mostly asymptomatic, but if left untreated it can lead to a more acute manifestation of symptoms.
If you think you have toxoplasmosis in pregnancy, contact your doctor immediately which, in addition to having you repeat the toxo test, will give you all the useful information to safeguard your health and that of the child.
The cured meats to avoid and those to be preferred during pregnancy
Up to now we have understood that a cured meat such as speck is allowed during pregnancy as long as: it is cooked, and the quantity is limited because it could promote body weight gain. As far as calories and nutritional values are concerned, the mother need not fear, it is a good food, rich not only in precious proteins, but also in fats that are considered good.
In general, what are the cold cuts, cured meats and types of meat that you can eat during pregnancy and which The cold cuts to eat during pregnancy without any problem are those cooked such as cooked ham, mortadella or turkey breast. Even a sausage like sausage can be eaten if you are pregnant without risk, but it must be considered that it is not a very healthy food, even in normal conditions. The same goes for sausages during pregnancy: they can be eaten as long as they are well cooked.
The cured meats absolutely to be avoided are: salami, raw ham and bresaola. Not undergoing cooking processes and therefore not coming into contact with high temperatures, they are at high risk toxoplasmosis.
However, the situation is different for pancetta, bacon, guanciale and lard di colonnata which can be eaten during pregnancy but must be well cooked and must never exceed the quantities due to the high fat content and high caloric intake.
