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Is Venison Safe During Pregnancy?

QUESTION

Dear Nutritionist,
Is it safe to eat venison during pregnancy?

ANSWER

Provided that venison is handled and cooked properly it should be safe for women to eat during pregnancy. Proper handling means that it is refrigerated and thawed properly, that cross-contamination is avoided, that it is cooked properly and thoroughly and that proper hand washing is used. You must cook the meat very thoroughly to a safe temperature (which would be 165' F for meat from wild game animals), using a meat thermometer. Undercooked venison can cause toxoplasmosis, which can very dangerous to both the mother and baby.

Caution is urged if the venison is used for jerky or sausage, as some additional precautions are necessary to prepare venison safely in this manner.

-- Kimberly, RD LD

Kimberly Tessmer

Kimberly A. Tessmer, RD LD has been a registered dietitian since 1992 and is also an Ohio licensed Dietitian. Her educational achievements include a Bachelor of Science in Technology (Dietetics) from Bowling State University in Bowling Green, OH. She currently owns and operates a consulting business called "Nutrition Focus" www.nutrifocus.net, in which she specializes and offers services in the areas of weight management, general nutrition, authoring, menu development and a variety of other services.

To date Kim has authored three books including "The Everything® Nutrition Book", "Tell Me What To Eat If I Have Celiac Disease", and "The Everything® Pregnancy Nutrition Book". In addition, Kim has written numerous articles for various health/nutrition web sites and magazines including Bally Total Fitness Magazine, Well and Healthy Women Magazine and Healthology.com, Inc as well as continuing education courses for www.care2learn.com. She is a member of the American Dietetic Association and the ADA Practice Group, Nutrition Entrepreneurs.