The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have released a booklet titled "Food Safety for Pregnant Women," that provides guidelines on how to avoid food borne diseases during pregnancy.
Becoming a mother is undoubtedly, the biggest pleasure of a woman's life. However, a pregnant woman needs to take extra care of herself to ensure the safe health of bother herself and the unborn child. There are many hormonal changes that take place when a woman is pregnant and owing to this her immune system is more vulnerable to diseases, especially the ones that are transmitted through food. Some of these diseases include Listeria monocytogenes and Toxoplasma gondii. These pathogens can be dangerous, even fatal, to the both the mother and her unborn child.
To provide absolute security of the mother to be, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have released a 24 pages booklet "Food Safety for Pregnant Women," that provides guidelines on how to avoid food borne diseases during pregnancy.
In addition, the government has also issued updated versions of previously published booklets for other groups at risk for serious illnesses from food poisoning, including cancer patients, transplant recipients, people with HIV/AIDS, the elderly, and people with diabetes.
"These booklets are a much needed resource for consumers who are at increased risk of getting sick from food," said Dr. Elizabeth Hagen, USDA undersecretary for Food Safety, in a recent news release. "The clear, understandable information in these booklets will help at-risk individuals feel confident about the safety of the food they prepare and eat," added Hagen.
"It is important that consumers, particularly those at higher risk of foodborne illness, have information they can use to do their part in preventing illness by properly selecting and preparing foods," said FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods Michael Taylor in a news release.
"Food Safety for Pregnant Women" and five other food safety booklets are available free on the FDA website.
