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Can I eat kimchi while pregnant?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Kimchi gets a Check from Doola Scan in all six countries: the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. Of the health bodies in these six countries, Health NZ is the one Doola Scan cites for it: it says fermented food and drinks, such as kombucha, may contain low levels of alcohol from the brewing process and should be avoided in pregnancy. The pregnancy food lists of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Ireland don't name kimchi. Cooked kimchi dishes, such as kimchi stew and kimchi fried rice, get the same Check.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Kimchi from the jar, shop-bought or homemade

    CheckIn all six countries

  • Kimchi cooked into stew (jjigae) or fried rice

    CheckIn all six countries
Doola Scan checking a plate
What each country says

Kimchi while pregnant: what each country says.

Each country's own pregnancy guidance on kimchi, with a link to it. Doola Scan uses your country's first.

  • Doola has no source from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Ireland on this yet; their answer comes from the other countries' guidance.

  • New Zealand

    Check
    • Health NZFermented foods and drinks such as kombucha may contain alcohol and should be avoided (alcohol, not listeria).Source
What to check

Before you eat kimchi.

  1. In New Zealand, follow the fermented food advice

    Health NZ says fermented food and drinks, such as kombucha, may contain low levels of alcohol from the brewing process and should be avoided in pregnancy. Kimchi is a fermented food, so in New Zealand this is the advice that applies. Health NZ

  2. Reheat leftover kimchi stew until piping hot

    Health NZ asks for leftover cooked food to be covered in the fridge, eaten within two days, and reheated until piping hot (over 70°C). That covers leftover kimchi jjigae and kimchi fried rice. Health NZ

  3. Look at the salt on the label

    The NHS says adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day, about 1 level teaspoon. If your kimchi has a nutrition label, compare its salt with that limit before eating it with every meal. NHS

Questions

About kimchi
in pregnancy.

Doola Scan shows Check for kimchi in all six countries, unpasteurised kimchi included. Health NZ's advice is about fermented foods in general, which may contain low levels of alcohol.

The guidance is the same in every trimester. Health NZ's fermented food advice applies all through pregnancy.

Doola Scan shows Check for kimchi stew and kimchi fried rice too. Eat them hot, and Health NZ asks for leftovers to be eaten within two days and reheated until piping hot.

None of these bodies names kimchi as good for pregnancy. Health NZ asks pregnant women to avoid fermented foods because they may contain low levels of alcohol.

Doola Scan shows Check for kimchi in all six countries. In New Zealand, Health NZ asks pregnant women to avoid fermented foods because they may contain low levels of alcohol.

Doola Scan shows Check for kimchi in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. In New Zealand, Health NZ asks pregnant women to avoid fermented foods, which may contain low levels of alcohol.

Health NZ's advice is about the low levels of alcohol fermented foods may contain. If you're worried, talk to your midwife or doctor.

Yes. Take a photo of the plate, the menu or the label, and Doola Scan checks every ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance, fermented foods included. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
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Point Doola at a plate, a menu or a label. It checks every ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance and shows its sources. Food scans are free, 3 a day.

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Doola shows what official guidance says; it never diagnoses. No known issues means none of these countries' pregnancy guidance names it, not a promise that a food is safe.