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Can I eat raw salmon while pregnant?

Avoid Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Raw salmon, in sushi, sashimi, nigiri or tartare, shows Avoid in Doola Scan in all six countries. The NHS lists sushi made with raw fish, even if it has been previously frozen, as a food to avoid, because raw fish could contain listeria. The FDA says freezing kills parasites but not all harmful germs. Salmon cooked through shows Check in all six, for the weekly fish amount, and the FDA asks for most seafood cooked to 145°F.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Raw salmon in sushi, sashimi or nigiri

    AvoidIn all six countries

  • Salmon tartare, crudo or ceviche

    AvoidIn all six countries

  • Salmon cooked through, baked or grilled

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

Raw salmon while pregnant: what each country says.

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

  • United States

    • Raw salmon in sushi, sashimi or nigiriAvoid
    • Salmon tartare, crudo or cevicheAvoid
    • Salmon cooked through, baked or grilledCheck
    • FDAFish is recommended but amounts limit mercury exposure.Source
    • FDAEat 2 to 3 servings (4 oz each) a week from Best Choices (salmon, sardines, herring, Atlantic mackerel); king mackerel is avoid.Source
    • FDAPregnant people should avoid raw fish, partially cooked seafood and refrigerated smoked seafood.Source
    • FoodSafety.gov (HHS)Avoid raw sushi, sashimi and ceviche; cook seafood to 145°F.Source
    Smoked salmon and lox
    • FDAAvoid smoked fish unless reheated until steaming hot.Source
    • FDARefrigerated smoked seafood can carry listeria.Source
    • FoodSafety.gov (HHS)Refrigerated smoked seafood only in a cooked dish reaching 165°F; canned or shelf-stable is OK.Source
    • USDA FSISAvoid refrigerated smoked seafood that is not canned, shelf-stable or fully cooked.Source

  • United Kingdom

    • Raw salmon in sushi, sashimi or nigiriAvoid
    • Salmon tartare, crudo or cevicheAvoid
    • Salmon cooked through, baked or grilledCheck
    • NHSTrying for a baby or pregnant: max 2 oily fish portions (140g) a week; tuna max 4 cans or 2 steaks a week.Source
    • NHSOily fish can contain pollutants that build up in the body.Source
    • NHSRaw fish can carry listeria and parasites.Source
    Smoked salmon and lox
    • FSAAvoid ready-to-eat cold-smoked or cured fish; cooked until steaming hot, or tinned, is a safer alternative.Source
    • NHSCold-smoked and cured fish can carry listeria.Source
    • NHSCold-smoked and cured fish (e.g. smoked salmon) must be cooked until steaming hot.Source

  • Canada

    • Raw salmon in sushi, sashimi or nigiriAvoid
    • Salmon tartare, crudo or cevicheAvoid
    • Salmon cooked through, baked or grilledCheck
    • Health CanadaLow-mercury fish encouraged with no weekly amount; limit only fresh/frozen tuna, shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy, escolar.Source
    • Health CanadaLow-mercury oily fish (salmon, herring, mackerel, trout) encouraged; no weekly cap.Source
    • CPSAvoid raw fish in pregnancy.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid raw seafood such as sushi; cook seafood to 74 °C (165 °F).Source
    Smoked salmon and lox
    • CPSAvoid refrigerated smoked seafood and fish.Source
    • Health CanadaRefrigerated smoked fish/seafood fine only if cooked (e.g. casserole) or canned/shelf-stable.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid refrigerated smoked seafood; canned or shelf-stable smoked seafood is the safer alternative.Source

  • Australia

    • Raw salmon in sushi, sashimi or nigiriAvoid
    • Salmon tartare, crudo or cevicheAvoid
    • Salmon cooked through, baked or grilledCheck
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Other fish or seafood no more than 2 to 3 times a week (150 g serve).Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Fish not high in mercury no more than 2 to 3 times a week; no separate oily-fish limit.Source
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Avoid sashimi and sushi.Source
    • FSANZAvoid raw/chilled RTE seafood: oysters, sushi, sashimi, ceviche. PBB: safest sushi is homemade.Source
    • NSW Food AuthorityDo not eat store-bought sushi; home-made without raw fish is OK.Source
    • NSW HealthDo not eat raw seafood.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)No raw or ready-to-eat fish such as sashimi and sushi.Source
    Smoked salmon and lox
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Do not eat ready-to-eat smoked salmon.Source
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Avoid smoked seafood that will not be further cooked.Source
    • FSANZAvoid smoked seafood unless freshly cooked or reheated steaming hot.Source
    • NSW HealthSmoked seafood only if cooked and served hot.Source
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Avoid smoked seafood such as salmon; canned is safe.Source
    • FSANZSmoked seafood: freshly cooked or reheated steaming hot.Source

  • New Zealand

    • Raw salmon in sushi, sashimi or nigiriAvoid
    • Salmon tartare, crudo or cevicheAvoid
    • Salmon cooked through, baked or grilledCheck
    • Health NZMost commonly eaten NZ fish can be eaten freely; low-mercury species need no restriction.Source
    • Health NZNo pollutant-based oily fish cap; farmed salmon and mackerel 3-4 servings a week, sardines and anchovy unrestricted.Source
    • Health NZUnsafe for pregnant people: raw oysters, sashimi, sushi and other chilled seafood.Source
    Smoked salmon and lox
    • Health NZAvoid smoked ready-to-eat seafood.Source
    • Health NZChilled smoked or pre-cooked fish and seafood: don't eat unless heated until piping hot; canned fish OK.Source

  • Ireland

    • Raw salmon in sushi, sashimi or nigiriAvoid
    • Salmon tartare, crudo or cevicheAvoid
    • Salmon cooked through, baked or grilledCheck
    • HSEAvoid raw or smoked fish, including sushi.Source
    Smoked salmon and lox
    • HSEAvoid raw or smoked fish.Source
    • HSEAvoid ready-to-eat cold-smoked or cured fish unless cooked until steaming hot.Source
What to check

Before you eat raw salmon.

  1. Skip raw salmon

    The NHS lists raw fish, and sushi made with raw fish even if previously frozen, as foods to avoid in pregnancy, because raw fish could contain listeria. The FDA asks pregnant women to avoid raw or undercooked fish, as in sashimi. NHS

  2. Cook salmon until it flakes

    The FDA asks for most seafood cooked to 145°F, and says fish is done when the flesh is clear and separates easily with a fork. Health Canada gives 70°C (158°F) for fish. FDA

  3. In the UK, keep oily fish to 2 portions a week

    The NHS counts salmon as an oily fish and asks pregnant women to have no more than 2 portions a week. The FDA lists salmon among its Best Choices, 2 to 3 servings a week. NHS

  4. Heat smoked salmon until steaming hot

    The NHS says cold-smoked fish like smoked salmon must be cooked until steaming hot in pregnancy. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says not to eat ready-to-eat smoked salmon, and smoked salmon shows Avoid in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. NHS

Questions

About raw salmon
in pregnancy.

Previously frozen raw salmon shows Avoid in all six countries. The NHS names sushi made with raw fish even if previously frozen, and the FDA says freezing kills parasites but not all harmful germs.

The FDA asks for most seafood cooked to 145°F, and Health Canada gives 70°C (158°F) for fish. The FDA says fish is done when the flesh is clear and separates easily with a fork.

The FDA's sign of cooked fish is flesh that is clear and separates easily with a fork, so salmon still translucent in the middle hasn't reached it. The NHS lists raw fish as a food to avoid in pregnancy.

The guidance asks you to avoid raw fish from now on. If you're worried, or you feel unwell, talk to your midwife or doctor.

Salmon cooked through shows Check in all six countries, for the weekly fish amount. The FDA lists salmon among its Best Choices, and the NHS asks for no more than 2 portions of oily fish a week.

Smoked salmon and lox show Check in the US, UK and Canada and Avoid in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. The NHS asks for cold-smoked salmon to be cooked until steaming hot.

The guidance is the same in every trimester. Raw salmon shows Avoid from the first weeks to the third trimester.

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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.