Christmas Eve is around the corner and the Christmas table is finally starting to appear, but as a pregnant or breastfeeding woman, what can you actually eat on the Christmas table?

If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, you might be wondering what you can and cannot eat on the Christmas table this year. Don't worry, the list is actually not very long. However, there are a few things to keep an eye on during Christmas. Note that the advice for breastfeeding women only applies to herring and herring - everything else is fair game. 

Foods to avoid or keep an eye on when you are pregnant during Christmas:

• Smoked or gravad fish that is vacuum packed

Smoked or gravad fish that is vacuum packed may contain listeria, and should be eaten within a week of the date of packaging.

• Charcuterie or pâtés

Cold cuts or pâtés can also contain listeria. However, if they have been cut from a whole piece just before serving, they are perfectly safe to eat when pregnant.

• Cold scrambles containing smoked or gravad fish, soft cheese or cured meats

These cold tubes can contain both listeria and toxoplasma, so you should avoid them if you are pregnant.

• Dried and cold smoked meat

Examples of dried and cold smoked meats are Parma ham, medvurst and salami. They can all contain toxoplasma. If you're really hungry, you can actually freeze these for three days, as any bacteria will die and it's okay to eat!

• Mold and mildew cheeses

It doesn't matter whether mouldy and putty cheeses are made from pasteurized or unpasteurized milk, they can contain harmful levels of listeria. However, hard cheeses made from unpasteurized or pasteurized milk can be eaten during pregnancy, as can spreadable fresh cheeses and processed cheeses. Any cheese that has been heated in an oven is also safe to eat.

• Herring and herring

Both Baltic herring and herring can contain dioxins and PCBs, so they should not be eaten more than 2-3 times a year if you are breastfeeding or pregnant. This applies to Baltic herring and herring from the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia. Pickled herring on the Christmas table is often fished in the Atlantic Ocean and is fine to eat!

What is toxoplasma?

Toxoplasma is a parasite that is usually transmitted through meat. If you have a compromised immune system, you are particularly susceptible to toxoplasma, and if you are pregnant, toxoplasma can harm the fetus. Toxoplasma can also infect animals, often cats, so if you are pregnant and have an indoor cat, you should avoid contact with the cat's feces, in other words: let someone else empty the box if you have the opportunity.

What is listeria?

Listeria is a bacterium that can multiply without oxygen and is not limited by cold, hence it is difficult to keep these bacteria down. Listeria can contaminate food, especially certain ready-to-eat refrigerated products such as long-life gravad and smoked fish.

What are dioxins and PCBs?

Dioxins and PCBs are formed when chemicals are produced in various processes and have been widely released into the environment. We can ingest dioxins and PCBs through the food we eat, mainly from animal-based foods. High levels of these environmental pollutants are found in fish from contaminated areas such as the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia, Lake Vänern and Lake Vättern. Pregnant women are therefore advised not to eat fish from these areas.

Source: National Food Agency