Eating kippered fish during pregnancy
What is a kiper? It usually
refers to the way food is prepared using herring, salmon, or other fish. In
most cases, people are referring to herring, which is a small oily fish.
Kippering refers to the preservation of herring by rubbing the fish with salt
or spices before placing it outdoors or in a smoker to dry.
How do you prepare a kippered fish?
To make kippered herring, you
must first cut the herring from head to tail. This is the first step. The
second step is to gut the herring and make sure it's clean. After gutting and
cleaning the fish, butterfly herring must be pickled or salted.
The final step is to place the
herring in the open air or on a steam grate made of oak chips. These are two
different ways of cooking kippered fish.
Is it safe to eat during pregnancy?
Herring or salmon are
considered potential risks of consumption during pregnancy. The main reason is
that this way of cooking is more vulnerable to Listeria. The salmon fish itself
will not harm you. However, salmon or herring cooked this way are more
susceptible to listeria, which can be devastating to your baby.
Salmon or herring left to dry
are more susceptible to Listeria than kippered salmon or herring. However,
there is room for caution. Smoking rarely gets hot enough to kill Listeria.
However, salmon cooked in
other dishes cooked alone has a higher chance of being safe. For example,
salmon cooked in a casserole must be heated to a temperature sufficient to kill
listeria. Another option is to take salmon or herring and heat them up on the
stove.
What about kippered fish benefits?
It is true that kippered fish
is usually rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Some people prefer the taste of fish
cooked this way and may argue that the benefits are worth it. Yes, this fish
has benefits and if it is not contaminated, it is a great source of omega-3s.
You've probably heard stories
about people who ate kippered fish and found that everything was fine. In most
cases it will. The likelihood of eating salmon with Listeria is questionable.
However, the concern is that this has disastrous consequences for expectant
pregnant mothers.
The problem is, you can't tell if a fish is infected. This is where the recommendation comes in, noting that prevention is better than cure. Avoiding kippered fish is the safest course of action.