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Netherlands: Local dishes

This chapter sorts popular Dutch dishes into two groups from a general safety point of view during treatment.

Last updated: ~1 min read
On a dark navy background, pea soup and hutspot.
Figure 1.Soup and hutspot — Netherlands: Local dishes

01Short answer

Usually safer choices: erwtensoep, hutspot and stamppot, slow-stewed beef (hachee, draadjesvlees), fresh pannenkoeken and poffertjes, freshly fried kibbeling and kroketten, and an uitsmijter with fully cooked eggs. Risky and usually avoided during neutropenia: raw herring (haring), filet americain, raw or cold-smoked fish, rauwmelks cheeses, and ready-made salads that have stood for a long time.

02Simple explanation

Slow-cooked: safer.

Raw herring: risky.

Filet americain: risky.

03Scientific explanation

Meat: FoodSafety.gov advises people with weakened immunity to cook meat thoroughly.

Fish: the FDA advises at-risk groups to avoid raw and cold-smoked fish.

04What happens in the body?

Everyday choice

Pea soup and hutspot are simple and well cooked.

Fresh from the pan

Eat pancakes fresh and hot.

On a dark navy background, a pancake in a pan.
Figure 2.Fresh pancake — Netherlands: Local dishes

Avoid

Raw herring and filet americain are usually not recommended during neutropenia.

On a dark navy background, raw herring behind a line.
Figure 3.Fish to avoid — Netherlands: Local dishes

05Choosing a dish

Four questions.

Fully cooked? — No pink inside.1Fully cooked?No pink inside.
Fresh? — Straight from the pan.2Fresh?Straight from the pan.
Raw fish? — Haring: no.3Raw fish?Haring: no.
Eggs? — Fully set.4Eggs?Fully set.
FlavourFavourite dishes stay.
SafetyRisky ones set apart.

06Key points at a glance

TopicIn brief
Everyday choicePea soup and hutspot are simple and well cooked.
Fresh from the panEat pancakes fresh and hot.
AvoidRaw herring and filet americain are usually not recommended during neutropenia.

07Key terms

Hutspot
Potato, carrot, onion.
Hachee
Stewed meat.
Kibbeling
Fried fish.
Filet americain
Raw beef spread.

08Key points

  • Cook meat fully.
  • Eat pancakes hot.
  • No haring.
  • No filet americain.
  • No rauwmelks.

09Frequently asked questions

Is kibbeling allowed?

Safer when freshly fried and hot; ask your team.

Smoked sausage (rookworst)?

Heated through and only if your team agrees.

Market salads?

During neutropenia it is better to avoid loose salads.

10Questions for your doctor

Take these questions to your appointment. The ones you save are collected on the “My questions” page and stay on this device only.

  1. Is kibbeling allowed?

  2. Smoked sausage (rookworst)?

  3. Market salads?

My questions

12Sources

  1. World Health Organization (WHO). Five keys to safer food
  2. FoodSafety.gov (U.S.). Food Safety for People with Cancer
  3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Food Safety for Older Adults and People with Cancer, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Organ Transplants, and Autoimmune Diseases
  4. National Cancer Institute (NCI). Infection and Neutropenia during Cancer Treatment
  5. Voedingscentrum (Netherlands Nutrition Centre). Official website (in Dutch)
  6. Chronicles of Turkmenistan. A patient asks to be allowed to travel abroad for a bone marrow transplant, 2022 (in Russian)
  7. PubMed. Hematopoietic cell transplantation in Uzbekistan: first experience (PMID 26809683)
  8. AzerNews. Uzbekistan starts allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, 2024
  9. Darakchi.uz. Allogeneic and haploidentical transplants at the Center of Hematology, 2025
  10. UZ24. First allogeneic bone marrow transplants in children in Uzbekistan, 2024 (in Russian)
Medical disclaimerThis information is for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice.
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