Is it safe to eat cookie dough ice cream when pregnant?
Quick Answer
Yes
Cookie dough ice cream is generally safe to eat during pregnancy because the cookie dough in such products is typically heat-treated or made with pasteurized eggs, which eliminates the risk of salmonella.
What Is It?
Cookie dough ice cream is a popular dessert that combines vanilla or cream-flavored ice cream with small chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough.
Why It Can Be Risky
The main concern with eating cookie dough ice cream during pregnancy is the potential risk of salmonella infection from raw eggs, which are often used in cookie dough. However, most commercial brands of cookie dough ice cream use heat-treated or pasteurized eggs.
- Salmonella infection: This can cause symptoms like fever, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. In rare cases, it can lead to more serious complications.
- Listeria infection: Although rare, there’s a small chance that ice cream can be contaminated with Listeria, which can be harmful to both the mother and the unborn baby.
Safe Method?
To ensure safety, only consume cookie dough ice cream from reputable brands that clearly state they use pasteurized eggs or heat-treated flour in their products.
Safe Alternatives
If you’re still concerned, consider alternatives like ice cream without any mix-ins, or cookie dough ice cream made with eggless cookie dough.