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Can I eat Subway tuna while pregnant?

Avoid Doola Scan's answer in the United States

A tuna sub from Subway or another sandwich shop shows Avoid in Doola Scan in the US, Canada, Australia and Ireland, and Check in the UK and New Zealand, when its tuna salad is mixed in the shop. The guidance here is about listeria in deli salads made ahead, not mercury: FoodSafety.gov says not to buy or eat premade seafood salad from delis, and Pregnancy, Birth and Baby asks you to avoid pre-prepared salads. The NHS asks only that pre-packaged sandwiches and salads are kept chilled and eaten before the use-by date. A tuna sandwich made at home with canned tuna shows Check, for the weekly tuna limit.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Tuna sub with tuna salad mixed in the shop

    AvoidUnited StatesAustraliaCheckUnited KingdomCanadaNew ZealandIreland

  • Tuna sandwich made at home with canned tuna

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

Subway tuna while pregnant: what each country says.

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

  • United States

    • Tuna sub with tuna salad mixed in the shopAvoid
    • Tuna sandwich made at home with canned tunaCheck
    • FoodSafety.gov (HHS)Don't buy or eat premade ham, chicken or seafood salad from delis.Source
    • FDADeli salads made on site may carry listeria.Source
    • ACOGLimit white (albacore) tuna to 6 oz a week; do not eat bigeye tuna.Source
    • FDACanned light tuna is Best Choice (2-3 servings a week); albacore and yellowfin only 1 serving and no other fish that week; bigeye avoid.Source
    Lettuce and other salad toppings
    • FDAAvoid unwashed fresh vegetables, including lettuce and salads.Source

  • United Kingdom

    Check
    • NHSPre-packaged sandwiches and salads: keep chilled and eat before the use-by date.Source
    • NHSTuna contains more mercury than most fish.Source
    Lettuce and other salad toppings
    • NHSSoil on produce can carry bacteria and toxoplasma.Source

  • Canada

    Check
    • CPSAvoid fresh or frozen tuna; canned albacore up to 300 g a week; canned light tuna not limited.Source
    • Health CanadaCanned albacore up to 300 g a week; canned light tuna not limited; fresh/frozen tuna up to 150 g a month.Source
    Lettuce and other salad toppings
    • Health CanadaRinse delicate produce under cool running water; scrub firm produce.Source

  • Australia

    • Tuna sub with tuna salad mixed in the shopAvoid
    • Tuna sandwich made at home with canned tunaCheck
    • Better Health Channel (Victoria)Avoid pre-prepared salads that will not be reheated.Source
    • NSW Food AuthorityDo not eat pre-prepared or pre-packaged salads.Source
    • NSW HealthDo not eat pre-packed cold salads, including from buffets and salad bars.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Avoid pre-prepared or pre-packaged salads, including from buffets and salad bars.Source
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Tuna falls under other fish: no more than 2 to 3 times a week.Source
    Lettuce and other salad toppings
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Wash fruit, vegetables and herbs to remove soil (toxoplasma).Source

  • New Zealand

    Check
    • Health NZPre-packaged and deli/salad-bar salads and coleslaws: don't eat; home-made salads OK if washed.Source
    • Health NZSkipjack tuna unrestricted; albacore 3-4 servings a week; southern bluefin one serving per 1-2 weeks.Source
    Lettuce and other salad toppings
    • Health NZWash and dry all fresh fruit and vegetables well just before eating.Source

  • Ireland

    Check
    • FSAIPregnant, breastfeeding, childbearing age, young children: max 1 fresh tuna steak (~225 g) or 2 medium cans (225 g) per week.Source
    • HSETuna max one 150 g cooked fresh steak or two 240 g cans (140 g drained) per week.Source
    Lettuce and other salad toppings
    • HSEWash all fruit, vegetables and pre-packed salads before eating.Source
What to check

Before you eat Subway tuna.

  1. Skip shop-made tuna salad in the US, Canada, Australia and Ireland

    FoodSafety.gov says not to buy or eat premade ham, chicken or seafood salad from delis in pregnancy. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby asks you to avoid pre-prepared salads, and NSW Health names pre-packed cold salads. FoodSafety.gov

  2. In the UK, keep it chilled and within its use-by date

    The NHS asks for pre-packaged sandwiches and salads to be kept chilled and eaten before the use-by date. A sandwich left out of the fridge, or past its date, doesn't meet that. NHS

  3. Make a tuna sandwich at home

    The FDA's concern is deli salads made on site, and it accepts salads freshly prepared at home. A sandwich made at home with canned tuna and jar mayonnaise shows Check, for the tuna only. FDA

  4. Keep to your country's tuna limit

    The FDA lists canned light tuna as a Best Choice, 2 to 3 servings a week, and albacore as 1 serving. The NHS says no more than 4 cans of tuna a week, Health Canada up to 300 g of canned albacore a week, and Ireland's FSAI 2 medium cans. FDA

Questions

About Subway tuna
in pregnancy.

A tuna sub with tuna salad mixed in the shop shows Avoid in Doola Scan in the US, Canada, Australia and Ireland, and Check in the UK and New Zealand. The reason is the guidance on deli salads made ahead, which can carry listeria, not the mercury in the tuna.

Neither on its own. Jar mayonnaise shows No known issues and canned tuna shows Check, for the weekly limit. The Avoid comes from tuna salad made ahead in a shop, which FoodSafety.gov names as premade seafood salad from delis.

None of these countries' food lists names toasted tuna subs. Better Health Channel's advice covers pre-prepared salads that will not be reheated, and the FDA's number for reheating deli foods is 165°F, steaming hot.

A tuna sandwich made at home with canned tuna and jar mayonnaise shows Check in all six countries, for the weekly tuna limit. A ready-made one from a shop or deli is read like the Subway tuna sub.

Store-bought tuna salad shows Avoid in the US, Canada, Australia and Ireland, and Check in the UK and New Zealand, the same as a sandwich shop's. The CDC lists homemade deli salads as the choice to make instead.

In the US, canned light tuna is 2 to 3 servings a week and albacore 1. The NHS says no more than 4 cans a week, Health Canada up to 300 g of canned albacore a week with canned light not limited, and Ireland's FSAI 2 medium cans a week.

The guidance is the same in every trimester. The advice on deli salads made ahead applies from the first weeks of pregnancy to the last.

Yes. Take a photo of the menu, the sub or the label, and Doola Scan checks every ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance. 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.