The pregnant women have five years, I would say decades, depriving themselves of delicious ham sandwiches because The consumption of this type of sausage has so far been associated with the risk of toxoplasmosis, an infectious disease that can be serious if transmitted to the fetus.
I say so far because a study that is being carried out in Teica (Andalusian Technological Center of the Meat Sector) of Cartagena (Huelva) has already yielded the first results, which say that there is no scientific evidence that relates the consumption of cured, soft or Iberian ham with the transmission of toxoplasma.
This study began in 2009 and its objective is precisely to know the relationship between ham consumption and Toxoplasma infection by pregnant women.
Teica is working jointly with the University of Granada and the Veterinary Health Surveillance Center (Visavet) of the Complutense University of Madrid to be able to offer the health authorities evidence that demonstrates an adequate healing time, a correct salty and adequate temperatures in the process of making hams makes the presence of the parasite unfeasible Toxoplasma gondii.
The study is not completed, but the results obtained to date are so optimistic that Teica's manager, Juan Carlos Racero, has already announced that, a priori, the relationship between ham and toxoplasma does not exist.
Tomorrow, taking advantage of this news, we talk a little more about toxoplasmosis and how to prevent it.
