Can You Eat Frozen Jamón During Pregnancy?

Many expecting mothers wonder if they can eat frozen jamón during pregnancy without putting the baby at risk, because consuming raw or semi-cured meats during gestation is discouraged, and jamón ibérico is one of them.

If this question has been on your mind, here is the solution!

Why Eating Jamón Is Discouraged

The first thing to know is that if eating jamón is discouraged, it is to protect the health of both mother and baby from diseases that can be very dangerous during gestation, such as toxoplasmosis.

This is a parasitic infection that can be contracted by eating raw or undercooked meats, drinking contaminated water, or handling cat feces. Although many women may have had it throughout their lives without even realizing it, during pregnancy it becomes very dangerous because it puts both mother and baby at risk.

If during these nine months the mother’s body were exposed to the toxoplasmosis parasite and contracted it, she could suffer from health problems, and the fetus could even contract congenital toxoplasmosis, which can cause fever or diarrhea, as well as other more serious complications, such as blindness.

Precautions to Take

To find out whether or not the mother has antibodies protecting her against toxoplasmosis, her doctor will perform a test during the first weeks of gestation to determine which types of diseases she is most exposed to. If the woman in question has already had toxoplasmosis, there is no risk, and she can freely eat jamón or embutidos. However, what happens if she has not had it?

It is in these cases that expecting mothers wonder if they can eat frozen jamón during pregnancy, since the meat is subjected to sub-zero temperatures that can kill the parasite.

Basic Tips

Since prevention is better than cure, it is generally recommended to play it safe and avoid jamón and embutidos during pregnancy, no matter how delicious they are. Additionally, it must be kept in mind that freezing is a preservation process that ruins the nuances and texture of ibérico, chorizo, salchichón, or lomo, and as jamón masters and lovers of all the culture surrounding it, we want to protect the quality of our star products.

A great deal of time, care, and dedication goes into making each piece, and if you freeze the meat, you will ruin all the work of the jamón masters. Believe us, we don’t want that to happen.

In order to protect mother and baby and, of course, ensure the enjoyment of ibérico and embutidos, at Enrique Tomás we recommend not freezing the piece and, since pregnancy lasts only nine months, temporarily giving up this delicacy. If you'd like, you can make sandwiches with:

Therefore, can you eat frozen jamón during pregnancy? If you haven't had toxoplasmosis and have been advised not to eat jamón, it's better to follow that advice. Think about it: you only have to go without it for nine months—once the baby is born, you can enjoy it again!