
Food safety in pregnancy
Ngā pokenga nō te kai, me te hapūtanga
During pregnancy, you are more likely to get diseases carried by food. As well as making you sick, some diseases can affect your unborn pēpi (baby).
The causes of these infections include listeria, salmonella, campylobacter and toxoplasmosis.
You can reduce the risks of foodborne illness by knowing which foods you should not eat during pregnancy. For detailed information about foods in pregnancy, see Food safety in pregnancy on the Ministry for Primary Industries website.
It is also important to follow food safety guidelines when preparing and storing food. This helps prevent harmful bacteria getting into your food. For more information, see Preparing and storing food safely at home on the Ministry for Primary Industries website.
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Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed November 2024.
Sources
The information in this section comes from the following sources, some of which may be clinically complex or not available to the general public
Goodnight W, Newman R. Optimal nutrition for improved twin pregnancy outcome. Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 2009. 114:1121-34.
Ministry of Health – Eating for Healthy Pregnant Women (https://healthed.govt.nz/products/eating-for-healthy-pregnant-women-nga-kai-totika-ma-te-wahine-hapu), retrieved June 2018.
Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition – Pregnancy: Multi-fetal, retrieved June 2018.
Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand – Companion Statement on Vitamin D and Sun Exposure in Pregnancy and Infancy in New Zealand, retrieved September 2024.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists – Vitamin and mineral supplementation and pregnancy, retrieved September 2024.
Image and embedded video sources
Image of a breastfeeding woman with 2 babies from Shutterstock (image ID 103650317). December 2020.
Image of a pregnant woman eating a salad from Shutterstock (image ID 1034974273). June 2018.
Image of a pregnant woman eating grapes from Shutterstock (image ID 424183072). August 2018.
Image of a pregnant women holding an apple from Shutterstock (image ID 470338766). August 2018.
Image of a woman washing her hands from Shutterstock (image ID 720503383). December 2021.
Page reference: 936496
Review key: HIPRC-41255