Can I Eat Pre-Packaged Ham (Like Sliced Ham) In Pregnancy?
This is one of the incidences where the advice differs from country to country. Pre-packaged ham, such as they type you buy in a supermarket to make sandwiches with, is deemed safe for consumption in the UK, even if the ham is eaten cold (source: NHS).
However, this is not the case in the USA (source: American Pregnancy Association) but it is acknowledged that the risks from packaged ham are low. It’s not considered safe in Australia, either.
Regardless of the nation you are in, heating the ham to steaming hot significantly reduces the risk of contracting a foodborne illness from it.
Can Pregnant Women Eat Baked Hams such as Christmas Ham?
Although baked hams go by different names depending on the region or nation, they are all generally sold as a single joint that has been cured, occasionally smoked, and baked before being served. They may be called:
Pregnant women can eat any of these varieties of ham as long as they bake them first (instead of just leaving them cured and uncooked) and then reheat them to a steaming hot temperature before eating.
Since many traditional hams are served cold, this may only be a minor change, but it makes it possible for pregnant women to still enjoy ham. If you can measure the temperature, the slices should be at 165F or 75c to be considered “steaming hot.”
Ham that has been baked with honey is acceptable (and can be served hot). This is because the honey is cooked during the baking process. You should check this first because pregnant women can eat uncooked honey on a baked ham as long as the honey has been pasteurized.
Can I Eat A Grilled or Toasted Ham Sandwich or Croissant When Pregnant?
Pregnant women can eat ham in hot sandwiches if the ham is served steaming hot inside the “toastie” or grilled sandwich (or savory croissant). As stated above under “Pre Packaged Ham,” eating a regular ham sandwich with cold ham is considered safe in the UK but not in the USA.