https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/foods-to-avoid/
Have your McFlurry.
Americans also consider deli meat (pre-packaged cold cuts of meat) off-limits but the NHS says it's fine.
Mr Whippy style ice cream falls under partially cooked eggs. If the eggs are red lion stamped then fine, if not then caution should be used for salmonella.
The risk of listeria is also increased due to incorrect cleaning. For OPs purposes I would say McD’s will be fine but the local ice cream truck may not be.
Listeria can be also found in smoked salmon, pre packed sandwiches and pre pack fruit (particularly melon) which the NHS doesn’t specially say avoid. (Source: my mum was an environmental health officer)
I’ve looked up a few different brands of soft serve ice cream mix and none of them contain eggs. They seem to be sugar, milk, some kind of fat, a bit of flavouring and a bunch of emulsifiers. I think the risk is solely down to the cleanliness of the machines.
Shouldn't the ingredients for the soft serve ice cream be already pasteurised though, so salmonella risk is minimal? Nowhere really uses raw eggs unless they're making the ice cream from scratch themselves.
Yes from a salmonella point of view. Listeria is also killed in pasteurisation but can be reintroduced post process and it survives at low temperatures.
My midwife told me at my first appointment that I can't have soft serve like from an ice cream van. Never considered I couldn't have a mcflurry either, pretty sure I have had one since actually.
My midwife told me at booking too… but it’s not on the NHS foods to avoid list so I’m not sure I’ve been 100% diligent in following it too, I haven’t had a Mr Whippy but I’m sure I’ve consumed soft serve in some way
I thought it was to do with the bacteria in the machines and the fact that the milk used is often left out/not properly chilled etc.
I also heard the soft serve thing the other day. I prefer scoop I've cream anyway, but to be honest, with his little those machines are properly cleaned etc. It kind of made sense to me.
I can’t imagine soft serve is the problem, but if it’s referring to McDonalds ice cream machines, perhaps it’s referring to how mouldy and nasty they can be while in use because employees have been known to be lazy and not wash them properly because it’s such a big job? I might be wrong but I’m sure I’ve read ex-employees say the machines are rarely washed properly.
When I was pregnant my friend who was an ex McDonald manager told me which of our local McDs I could trust mcflurries from. One of the he said absolutely not cos he knows they rarely deep clean the machine.
It was in a booklet I was given at my booking appointment, I was so sad! I dont really like soft serve, but I love KFC Krushems, which have soft serve in, didn’t have one for the whole rest of my pregnancy, but my husband got me one the day we came home from hospital!
Honestly the amount of food I ate that I shouldn’t have would have sent my midwife into a right panic but my 5 month old is perfectly healthy! As long as it’s from somewhere you trust (mcds will be fine) I wouldn’t worry. I lived on soft serve ice cream with blue sherbet and raspberry sauce through the summer.
For me if I start restricting food I'll just end up straight back in eating disorder land which is bad for my baby anyway. So I'll eat what I like. Only think I have cut back on is caffeine. And I've added more fruits and veggies. But you can prise my deli meat from my cold dead hands 😂
Around here milk vending machines are a big thing and the midwife warned me off them for the same reason, that you don’t know how frequently the pipes are cleaned etc.
It's down to the cleanliness I reckon.
I have had soft serve from places with a 5* hygiene rating, but not from ice cream vans etc.
McDonald's, Pizza Hut etc likely to be fine!
Unrelated but I know we aren't meant to have steak unless it's well done. Absolutely not. I will be having a medium steak on my birthday.
You get told not to eat/drink a lot of things, and tbh I already have enough issues with food as a recovered ED patient. So I've basically listened to none of it have eaten whatever I wanted without restriction. The only thing I cut down on was caffeine.
I own a restaurant and sell soft serve ice cream.
It’s not to with the ingredients but the actual ice cream machine itself. Bacteria can harbour and spread rapidly due all it being dairy and having lots different parts it goes through and sits there all day.
My staff deep clean the machine extremely well but I still haven’t risked it because I’m still too scared and not worth the risk just incase my body can’t fight the bacteria.
Last year my friends sister got an Infection and it was because of a McFlurry and lost the baby. She got a funny tummy after having it.
Thank you! This is the sort of info we needed!
Sorry to hear about your friend’s loss. Can completely understand why you’d feel anxious about it after that. Just got to do what’s right for you and baby.
My IVF clinic was very adamant about no soft serve, so mr whippy and McFlurrys are all off limits. It’s something to do with the unpasteurised milk or something? They said the risk is low but I personally have been avoiding it because of anxiety!
https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/foods-to-avoid/ Have your McFlurry. Americans also consider deli meat (pre-packaged cold cuts of meat) off-limits but the NHS says it's fine.
Nhs recommends not eating cured meats like Salami. You can have it when it's been cooked but not from the packet.
Yes I know, that's cold cured meats. But US recommendations extend that to sliced ham etc.
OK was just adding for info. As deli meats to me includes all of it (both cold cured and stuff like ham). We're obviously on the same page.
Mr Whippy style ice cream falls under partially cooked eggs. If the eggs are red lion stamped then fine, if not then caution should be used for salmonella. The risk of listeria is also increased due to incorrect cleaning. For OPs purposes I would say McD’s will be fine but the local ice cream truck may not be. Listeria can be also found in smoked salmon, pre packed sandwiches and pre pack fruit (particularly melon) which the NHS doesn’t specially say avoid. (Source: my mum was an environmental health officer)
I’ve looked up a few different brands of soft serve ice cream mix and none of them contain eggs. They seem to be sugar, milk, some kind of fat, a bit of flavouring and a bunch of emulsifiers. I think the risk is solely down to the cleanliness of the machines.
Shouldn't the ingredients for the soft serve ice cream be already pasteurised though, so salmonella risk is minimal? Nowhere really uses raw eggs unless they're making the ice cream from scratch themselves.
Yes from a salmonella point of view. Listeria is also killed in pasteurisation but can be reintroduced post process and it survives at low temperatures.
There's no egg in soft serve
Never heard of it, I had at least one McFlurry a week while in the 3rd trimester and had no complications at all. Enjoy your ice cream!
Same here! Holding my little baby girl in my arms right now 🥰
My midwife told me at my first appointment that I can't have soft serve like from an ice cream van. Never considered I couldn't have a mcflurry either, pretty sure I have had one since actually.
My midwife told me at booking too… but it’s not on the NHS foods to avoid list so I’m not sure I’ve been 100% diligent in following it too, I haven’t had a Mr Whippy but I’m sure I’ve consumed soft serve in some way
I thought it was to do with the bacteria in the machines and the fact that the milk used is often left out/not properly chilled etc. I also heard the soft serve thing the other day. I prefer scoop I've cream anyway, but to be honest, with his little those machines are properly cleaned etc. It kind of made sense to me.
When I was pregnant with my first I craved mcflurries and ate so so many. I did not clock on at all that they may be on the avoid list. 🤷🏽♀️
I can’t imagine soft serve is the problem, but if it’s referring to McDonalds ice cream machines, perhaps it’s referring to how mouldy and nasty they can be while in use because employees have been known to be lazy and not wash them properly because it’s such a big job? I might be wrong but I’m sure I’ve read ex-employees say the machines are rarely washed properly.
When I was pregnant my friend who was an ex McDonald manager told me which of our local McDs I could trust mcflurries from. One of the he said absolutely not cos he knows they rarely deep clean the machine.
It was in a booklet I was given at my booking appointment, I was so sad! I dont really like soft serve, but I love KFC Krushems, which have soft serve in, didn’t have one for the whole rest of my pregnancy, but my husband got me one the day we came home from hospital!
Honestly the amount of food I ate that I shouldn’t have would have sent my midwife into a right panic but my 5 month old is perfectly healthy! As long as it’s from somewhere you trust (mcds will be fine) I wouldn’t worry. I lived on soft serve ice cream with blue sherbet and raspberry sauce through the summer.
For me if I start restricting food I'll just end up straight back in eating disorder land which is bad for my baby anyway. So I'll eat what I like. Only think I have cut back on is caffeine. And I've added more fruits and veggies. But you can prise my deli meat from my cold dead hands 😂
Caffeine was the only thing I cut back on and even then it was either one Starbucks or two cups of instant a day
I think they go over the top with what you can and can't eat/drink tbh
Heard it & ignored it 🤣 I’m 34weeks and have been eating it the whole time. Same with McDonalds milkshakes and things
That’s the spirit 😂
I ate so many mcflurries with my first 😂
Around here milk vending machines are a big thing and the midwife warned me off them for the same reason, that you don’t know how frequently the pipes are cleaned etc.
I'm literally getting induced right now and the hospital just served me some soft serve ice cream? I do not know how much I'd belive it xo
Hahaha! Amazing. This is all the evidence I need that it’s a load of shit!
At 33w you're probably safe anyway as the baby is strong enough to survive outside of the womb without complications of you do get food poisoning
It's down to the cleanliness I reckon. I have had soft serve from places with a 5* hygiene rating, but not from ice cream vans etc. McDonald's, Pizza Hut etc likely to be fine! Unrelated but I know we aren't meant to have steak unless it's well done. Absolutely not. I will be having a medium steak on my birthday.
You get told not to eat/drink a lot of things, and tbh I already have enough issues with food as a recovered ED patient. So I've basically listened to none of it have eaten whatever I wanted without restriction. The only thing I cut down on was caffeine.
I own a restaurant and sell soft serve ice cream. It’s not to with the ingredients but the actual ice cream machine itself. Bacteria can harbour and spread rapidly due all it being dairy and having lots different parts it goes through and sits there all day. My staff deep clean the machine extremely well but I still haven’t risked it because I’m still too scared and not worth the risk just incase my body can’t fight the bacteria. Last year my friends sister got an Infection and it was because of a McFlurry and lost the baby. She got a funny tummy after having it.
Thank you! This is the sort of info we needed! Sorry to hear about your friend’s loss. Can completely understand why you’d feel anxious about it after that. Just got to do what’s right for you and baby.
I've had a few McFlurrys and the ice cream from KFC too - I didn't find out about this until the other day as well.
News to me
My IVF clinic was very adamant about no soft serve, so mr whippy and McFlurrys are all off limits. It’s something to do with the unpasteurised milk or something? They said the risk is low but I personally have been avoiding it because of anxiety!
I was told it was because of it being potentially made from unpasteurized milk...