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Can I eat shellfish while pregnant?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Shellfish cooked and served hot, such as shrimp, crab, lobster, clams and scallops, shows Check in Doola Scan in all six countries; raw shellfish, like raw oysters or clams, shows Avoid in all six. Cold pre-cooked shellfish, such as shrimp cocktail, shows Check in the US, UK and Canada and Avoid in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. For hot cooked shellfish the check is the weekly amount: the FDA lists shrimp, crab, lobster, clams and scallops among its Best Choices, 2 to 3 servings a week.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Shrimp, crab, lobster, clams or scallops, cooked and served hot

    CheckIn all six countries

  • Cold pre-cooked shellfish: shrimp cocktail, cold crab

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

Shellfish while pregnant: what each country says.

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

  • United States

    Check
    • FDAFish is recommended but amounts limit mercury exposure.Source
    • FDAPreviously cooked seafood is lower risk when reheated to 165°F; partially cooked shrimp and crab are higher risk.Source
    Raw shellfish: raw oysters, clams, scallops or mussels
    • 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

  • 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
    • NHSChilled ready-to-eat seafood can carry listeria.Source
    Raw shellfish: raw oysters, clams, scallops or mussels
    • NHSRaw shellfish can carry bacteria, viruses or toxins.Source

  • Canada

    Check
    • Health CanadaLow-mercury fish encouraged with no weekly amount; limit only fresh/frozen tuna, shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy, escolar.Source
    Raw shellfish: raw oysters, clams, scallops or mussels
    • CPSAvoid raw shellfish such as oysters and clams.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid raw oysters, clams and mussels; eat only when cooked until shells open.Source

  • Australia

    • Shrimp, crab, lobster, clams or scallops, cooked and served hotCheck
    • Cold pre-cooked shellfish: shrimp cocktail, cold crabAvoid
    • 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
    • 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 shellfish: raw oysters, clams, scallops or mussels
    • 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

  • New Zealand

    • Shrimp, crab, lobster, clams or scallops, cooked and served hotCheck
    • Cold pre-cooked shellfish: shrimp cocktail, cold crabAvoid
    • Health NZMost commonly eaten NZ fish can be eaten freely; low-mercury species need no restriction.Source
    • Health NZAvoid cooked ready-to-eat prawns.Source
    Raw shellfish: raw oysters, clams, scallops or mussels
    • Health NZAny raw shellfish, including marinated raw mussels: don't eat.Source

  • Ireland

    • Shrimp, crab, lobster, clams or scallops, cooked and served hotCheck
    • Cold pre-cooked shellfish: shrimp cocktail, cold crabAvoid
    • HSEAvoid clams, oysters, scallops, prawns, mussels - risk highest if pre-cooked.Source
    Raw shellfish: raw oysters, clams, scallops or mussels
    • HSEAvoid clams, oysters, scallops, prawns and mussels.Source
What to check

Before you eat shellfish.

  1. Cook shellfish through

    The FDA says shrimp, crab and lobster are cooked when the flesh is pearly and opaque, and clams, mussels and oysters when the shells open. Health Canada's chart gives 74°C (165°F) for shellfish. FDA

  2. Skip raw shellfish and their juices

    The FDA asks pregnant women to avoid raw shellfish and their juices. The NHS says raw or not thoroughly cooked mussels, clams and oysters can contain harmful viruses and bacteria, and Health NZ says not to eat any raw shellfish. FDA

  3. In Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, skip it cold

    Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says not to eat pre-cooked prawns, Health NZ advises against cooked ready-to-eat prawns, and Ireland's HSE says the risk from shellfish is highest if pre-cooked. Heat it until steaming hot instead. HSE

  4. Count shellfish in your weekly fish

    The FDA suggests 2 to 3 servings a week of 4 ounces from its Best Choices. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says other fish and seafood no more than 2 to 3 times a week, and Health Canada and Health NZ set no weekly amount for low-mercury seafood. FDA

Questions

About shellfish
in pregnancy.

Cooked shrimp, crab, lobster, clams and scallops show Check in Doola Scan in all six countries when served hot. The check is how much fish and seafood you have in a week.

Raw mussels show Avoid in all six countries. Health Canada asks for mussels, clams and oysters to be eaten only when cooked until the shells open, and Health NZ names marinated raw mussels among the shellfish not to eat.

Cooked scallops show Check in all six countries, and the FDA lists scallops among its Best Choices. Raw scallops show Avoid in all six.

Cooked clams, steamed or in chowder, show Check in all six countries. Raw clams show Avoid, and FoodSafety.gov names raw oysters, clams and scallops.

None of these countries' pregnancy food lists names conch. The FDA's advice on raw shellfish and Health Canada's 74°C (165°F) for shellfish are the guidance closest to it.

The FDA lists shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, oysters and scallops among its Best Choices and says fish supply protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D and selenium. The NHS names oysters and crab as the main shellfish sources of long-chain omega-3.

The guidance is the same in every trimester. Hot cooked shellfish shows Check from the first weeks to the last, and raw shellfish shows Avoid throughout.

Yes. Take a photo of the plate or the menu, and Doola Scan checks each shellfish against your country's pregnancy guidance, hot, cold or raw. 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.