Is Eating Medium Rare Steak Safe While Pregnant
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Eating medium rare steak when pregnant?
(12 Posts)
CobaltRose Tue 17-Jul-18 18:22:31
Hi everyone.
I'm having dinner round a friend's and was just enjoying a steak. It was mostly brown in the middle but had a few pink bits and was still slightly bloody. I thought this was okay but after Googling, apparently eating meat that isn't thoroughly cooked isn't recommended and is downright dangerous for baby?
I had a miscarriage in April and am only six weeks gone now, and now I'm panicking. 
Polly99 Tue 17-Jul-18 18:24:47
Don't worry, this will not have harmed your baby.
Any germs tend to be on the outside of meat, and those would have been cooked off. I'd avoid pink burgers though.
beccii161016 Tue 17-Jul-18 18:26:09
I did the same when pregnant with DS at around about the same gestation and everything was fine for me.
Of all things I think beef is the least worrying meat because it can be eaten barely cooked without any risk. The reason it's not recommended is because any meat that isn't cooked thoroughly risks food poisoning. Obviously it's important chicken and pork or cooked thoroughly and really beef should be too but it's not massively dangerous.
beccii161016 Tue 17-Jul-18 18:26:29
Havetothink Tue 17-Jul-18 18:33:45
You'll be fine, my understanding is that most of the bacteria is on the outside of the piece of meat so if you cook steak the bacteria on the outside gets cooked, a burger on the other hand, because the meat has been minced and mixed in the bacteria is throughout and so eating it pink carries a much higher risk.
CobaltRose Tue 17-Jul-18 18:46:56
Thanks everyone 
It's hard not to panic after a miscarriage.
PramCush Tue 17-Jul-18 18:47:49
It will be absolutely fine, no danger there at all.
Katurah Tue 17-Jul-18 18:48:26
I did exactly the same when I was about 7/8 weeks and rang nhs 111 hysterical. A very kind doctor told me I could eat rare steak if I wanted asking as it had been seared in a hot pan - any bugs would be on the outside and the browning process would kill them off. He said the same as a PP and said to avoid rare burgers as it's harder to kill any surface bugs on mince. His first question when I told my sorry tale was "had I enjoyed it!?"
You'll be fine xxx
CobaltRose Tue 17-Jul-18 19:11:11
Thank you everyone
MongerTruffle Tue 17-Jul-18 19:15:39
Beef steak is, by definition, completely sterile. The bacteria are introduced during processing because the animal is cut up by machine.
As long as the outside is properly seared, it is safe to eat.
Mincing meat (like in burgers) mixes the bacteria in, which means that you shouldn't eat rare burgers.
JustVent Tue 17-Jul-18 19:42:40
It'll be fine. Especially in this country.
I remember taking DS1 for the seaside and we got a 99 from the pier then I freaked or for the next month after I realised that it was unpasteurised ice cream!
Have you had your scan?
SockQueen Tue 17-Jul-18 21:02:50
This is not strictly true - the risk in rare beef, even steak, is toxoplasmosis, which can be found anywhere within the meat, not just on the surface like normal bacterial contamination. Chances are you will be fine, but that is the reason that rare meat is not recommended.
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Is Eating Medium Rare Steak Safe While Pregnant
Source: https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/3309460-Eating-medium-rare-steak-when-pregnant