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Can I eat seafood while pregnant?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Seafood cooked and eaten hot, such as shrimp, crab, scallops, salmon or cod, shows Check in Doola Scan in all six countries: the check is how much you eat in a week. Cold pre-cooked seafood, like a prawn platter or cold crab, shows Check in the US, UK and Canada and Avoid in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. Raw seafood, such as raw oysters and sushi, shows Avoid in all six, and the countries differ on high-mercury fish such as swordfish and shark.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Seafood cooked and served hot: shrimp, crab, scallops, salmon or cod

    CheckIn all six countries

  • Cold pre-cooked seafood: prawns or crab served chilled

    CheckUnited StatesUnited KingdomCanadaAvoidAustraliaNew ZealandIreland
Doola Scan checking a plate
What each country says

Seafood while pregnant: what each country says.

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

  • United States

    Check
    • 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
    • FDAPreviously cooked seafood is lower risk when reheated to 165°F; partially cooked shrimp and crab are higher risk.Source
    Raw seafood: raw oysters and sushi
    • FDAPeople at higher risk, including pregnant women, should avoid raw shellfish and their juices.Source
    • FoodSafety.gov (HHS)Avoid raw oysters, clams and scallops.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
    High-mercury fish: swordfish and shark
    • ACOGDo not eat shark, swordfish, marlin, bigeye tuna, king mackerel, orange roughy or tilefish.Source
    • FDAFDA/EPA: those who might become or are pregnant should not eat "Choices to Avoid" fish (shark, swordfish, marlin and others).Source
    • FDAHighest mercury levels; can affect a baby's developing brain.Source
    Cold-smoked fish such as smoked salmon
    • 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

    Check
    • 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
    • NHSChilled ready-to-eat seafood can carry listeria.Source
    Raw seafood: raw oysters and sushi
    • NHSRaw shellfish can carry bacteria, viruses or toxins.Source
    • NHSRaw fish can carry listeria and parasites.Source
    High-mercury fish: swordfish and shark
    • NHSThese fish can contain high mercury, which can affect a baby's nervous system.Source
    • NHSDo not eat shark, swordfish or marlin if pregnant or trying to get pregnant.Source
    Cold-smoked fish such as smoked salmon
    • 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

    Check
    • 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
    Raw seafood: raw oysters and sushi
    • CPSAvoid raw shellfish such as oysters and clams.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid raw oysters, clams and mussels; eat only when cooked until shells open.Source
    • CPSAvoid raw fish in pregnancy.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid raw seafood such as sushi; cook seafood to 74 °C (165 °F).Source
    High-mercury fish: swordfish and shark
    • CPSAvoid higher-mercury fish such as shark, swordfish and fresh or frozen tuna.Source
    • Health CanadaShark, swordfish, marlin allowed up to 150 g/month combined with other listed fish (UK: avoid).Source
    • Health CanadaPregnant, could become pregnant or breastfeeding: fresh/frozen tuna, shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy, escolar max 150 g per month.Source
    Cold-smoked fish such as smoked salmon
    • 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

    • Seafood cooked and served hot: shrimp, crab, scallops, salmon or codCheck
    • Cold pre-cooked seafood: prawns or crab served chilledAvoid
    • 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
    • NSW Food AuthorityDo not eat ready-to-eat chilled peeled prawns.Source
    • NSW HealthDo not eat chilled ready-to-eat prawns.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Do not eat pre-cooked prawns.Source
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Avoid cooked, chilled seafood such as peeled prawns unless cooked again.Source
    • FSANZAvoid chilled cooked prawns; eat freshly cooked or reheated steaming hot.Source
    Raw seafood: raw oysters and sushi
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Avoid raw oysters and other raw seafood.Source
    • FSANZAvoid raw oysters and other chilled raw seafood.Source
    • NSW Food AuthorityDo not eat raw seafood.Source
    • NSW HealthDo not eat raw seafood.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)No raw oysters or other raw seafood.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
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)No raw or ready-to-eat fish such as sashimi and sushi.Source
    High-mercury fish: swordfish and shark
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Limit fish with high mercury when pregnant or planning.Source
    • FSANZPregnant/planning: shark (flake), swordfish/broadbill, marlin ≤1 portion (150 g) per fortnight and no other fish that fortnight.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Shark (flake), swordfish/broadbill and marlin: no more than 150 g in 2 weeks, with no other fish then.Source
    • FSANZShark/billfish ≤150 g per fortnight (no other fish); orange roughy/catfish ≤150 g per week (no other fish).Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Shark, swordfish and marlin: no more than 150 g in 2 weeks; orange roughy and catfish no more than once a week.Source
    Cold-smoked fish such as smoked salmon
    • 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

    • Seafood cooked and served hot: shrimp, crab, scallops, salmon or codCheck
    • Cold pre-cooked seafood: prawns or crab served chilledAvoid
    • 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 NZAvoid cooked ready-to-eat prawns.Source
    Raw seafood: raw oysters and sushi
    • Health NZAny raw shellfish, including marinated raw mussels: don't eat.Source
    • Health NZUnsafe for pregnant people: raw oysters, sashimi, sushi and other chilled seafood.Source
    High-mercury fish: swordfish and shark
    • MPI (NZ Food Safety)Limit (not avoid): cardinalfish, dogfish (not rig), school shark, marlin, southern bluefin tuna, swordfish, geothermal lake trout.Source
    • Health NZSwordfish, marlin, school shark, southern bluefin tuna: one serving per 1-2 weeks; orange roughy no restriction.Source
    Cold-smoked fish such as smoked salmon
    • 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

    • Seafood cooked and served hot: shrimp, crab, scallops, salmon or codCheck
    • Cold pre-cooked seafood: prawns or crab served chilledAvoid
    • HSEAvoid clams, oysters, scallops, prawns, mussels - risk highest if pre-cooked.Source
    Raw seafood: raw oysters and sushi
    • HSEAvoid clams, oysters, scallops, prawns and mussels.Source
    • HSEAvoid raw or smoked fish, including sushi.Source
    High-mercury fish: swordfish and shark
    • FSAIPregnant women and women of childbearing age should not eat swordfish, marlin or shark.Source
    • HSEAvoid shark, swordfish and marlin.Source
    Cold-smoked fish such as smoked salmon
    • 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 seafood.

  1. Cook seafood until it is opaque, or to 145°F

    The FDA says shrimp, crab and lobster are cooked when the flesh is firm, pearly and opaque, clams, mussels and oysters when their shells open, and most seafood should reach 145°F. FoodSafety.gov asks pregnant women to cook seafood to 145°F. FDA

  2. Count seafood in your week

    The FDA asks pregnant women to eat 2 to 3 servings a week from its Best Choices, which include shrimp, crab, scallops, salmon and cod, 4 ounces each. The NHS suggests 2 portions of fish a week, one of them oily, and Pregnancy, Birth and Baby most seafood 2 to 3 times a week. FDA

  3. In Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, skip cold pre-cooked seafood

    Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says not to eat pre-cooked prawns, Health NZ advises against cooked ready-to-eat prawns, and the HSE says the risk from shellfish is highest if it is pre-cooked. The NHS asks for cold, pre-cooked prawns to be cooked until steaming hot. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby

  4. Leave out raw seafood

    The NHS lists raw fish and raw shellfish as foods to avoid in pregnancy. FoodSafety.gov names raw oysters, clams and scallops, and raw sushi, sashimi and ceviche. NHS

Questions

About seafood
in pregnancy.

The NHS lists cooked shellfish, including prawns, crab, lobster, squid, mussels, scallops and clams, among the foods you can have. In Doola Scan, hot cooked shrimp, crab, scallops, salmon and cod show Check in all six countries, for the weekly amount.

Cold pre-cooked prawns and crab show Avoid in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland and Check in the US, UK and Canada. In the US, the FDA says previously cooked seafood is lower risk when reheated to 165°F.

The FDA's Best Choices are 2 to 3 servings a week of 4 ounces each in pregnancy. Australia suggests most seafood no more than 2 to 3 times a week, and Health Canada sets no weekly amount for low-mercury fish.

The FDA puts shark, swordfish, marlin, king mackerel, orange roughy and bigeye tuna among its Choices to Avoid. Swordfish and shark show Avoid in the US, UK and Ireland and Check in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which allow small amounts.

Raw oysters and sushi with raw fish show Avoid in all six countries. The NHS lists sushi made with cooked fish or cooked shellfish among the foods you can have.

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

The FDA says fish supply omega-3 fats, iron, iodine and choline, which support a baby's brain development, plus protein, vitamin B12 and selenium. The NHS suggests 2 portions of fish a week in pregnancy.

Yes. Take a photo of the plate, the menu or the pack, and Doola Scan checks each item against your country's pregnancy guidance, hot, cold or raw. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
Doola Scan

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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.