Dietary restrictions for neutropenic patients include which of the following?

• A. Eat raw fruit and unpasteurized dairy
• B. Avoid raw raspberries and strawberries; use pasteurized dairy; reheat deli meat
• C. No restrictions
• D. Only cooked meat and high-protein diets

Answer: (B)

Infection risk is heightened when neutrophil counts are very low, so the diet is chosen to minimize exposure to foodborne pathogens. The safest approach among these options is to avoid foods that can harbor bacteria, especially those that aren’t heated or pasteurized. Avoiding raw raspberries and strawberries helps because fresh, ready-to-eat fruits can carry surface bacteria; choosing pasteurized dairy eliminates risks from unpasteurized milk; and reheating deli meat until steaming hot kills any bacteria that may have grown during refrigeration. This combination directly reduces common sources of infection for neutropenic patients—fresh, unpasteurized, and cold deli foods—while still allowing nourishment. The other options fall short: consuming raw fruit and unpasteurized dairy increases infection risk; no restrictions ignore the vulnerability of neutropenic patients; and focusing only on cooked meat plus high-protein intake misses important consideration of dairy and ready-to-eat deli foods that can be contaminated.