Is Cantaloupe Dangerous for Pregnant Women to Eat?

Out of all the foods on the list of “foods to avoid while pregnant,” cantaloup may be the most surprising. For one cantaloupe is a very healthy fruit with lots of nutrients and benefits. But the reason some doctors may discourage you to eat the sweet fruit while pregnant has nothing to do with what’s inside the fruit, it has to do with what could be on the outside of the fruit.

Back in 2011, the United States experienced one the the worst listeria outbreaks it had seen in a decade due to contaminated cantaloupe. Listeria Monocytogenes is a bacteria that causes foodborne illness more commonly found in deli meats and soft cheeses. It was a shock that the outbreak has come from contaminated cantaloupe, but the bacteria was able to grow on the outside of the fruit and when it was cut open the inside was then contaminated as well.

A Listeriosis infection can cause fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, and muscle aches. Listeria is especially dangerous to older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems. While a woman who is pregnant could ingest the bacteria and not experience any symptoms, the bacteria can penetrate and infect the placenta and amniotic fluid. If Listeriosis is passed to the baby it can cause premature delivery, miscarriage, stillbirth, and serious health problems to the newborn.

While it may be wise to not eat cantaloup all together while pregnant, it is also wise to know why this fruit made the list. The fact is, this could happen with many hard fruits and vegetables so it’s important to know how to prevent food borne illness altogether while pregnant. This Food Safety Guide for Pregnant Women gives an excellent breakdown of how to avoid Listeria as well as the other two dangerous types of food poisoning— Methylmercury & Toxoplasma Gondii — as well as safe food handling tips and a heat chart for safe cooking.