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Can I eat sushi while pregnant?

Avoid Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Sushi made with raw fish, including sashimi and nigiri, shows Avoid in Doola Scan in all six countries: the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland all ask you to avoid raw fish in pregnancy. Sushi made with cooked fish shows Check, for the weekly fish amount. Australia and New Zealand go further: NSW Food Authority says not to eat store-bought sushi at all, only sushi made at home without raw fish. The NHS lists sushi made with cooked fish among the foods you can have.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Sushi with raw fish: sashimi, nigiri and raw fish rolls

    AvoidIn all six countries

  • Sushi made with cooked fish

    CheckIn all six countries

  • California roll with imitation crab

    CheckUnited StatesUnited KingdomCanadaAvoidAustraliaNew ZealandIreland

  • Shrimp tempura roll

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

Sushi while pregnant: what each country says.

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

  • United States

    • Sushi with raw fish: sashimi, nigiri and raw fish rollsAvoid
    • Sushi made with cooked fishCheck
    • California roll with imitation crabCheck
    • Shrimp tempura rollCheck
    • 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
    • FDAPreviously cooked seafood is lower risk when reheated to 165°F; partially cooked shrimp and crab are higher risk.Source
    • FDAFish is recommended but amounts limit mercury exposure.Source

  • United Kingdom

    • Sushi with raw fish: sashimi, nigiri and raw fish rollsAvoid
    • Sushi made with cooked fishCheck
    • California roll with imitation crabCheck
    • Shrimp tempura rollCheck
    • NHSRaw fish can carry listeria and parasites.Source
    • NHSChilled ready-to-eat seafood can carry listeria.Source
    • NHSTrying for a baby or pregnant: max 2 oily fish portions (140g) a week; tuna max 4 cans or 2 steaks a week.Source

  • Canada

    • Sushi with raw fish: sashimi, nigiri and raw fish rollsAvoid
    • Sushi made with cooked fishCheck
    • California roll with imitation crabCheck
    • Shrimp tempura rollCheck
    • CPSAvoid raw fish in pregnancy.Source
    • Health CanadaAvoid raw seafood such as sushi; cook seafood to 74 °C (165 °F).Source
    • Health CanadaLow-mercury fish encouraged with no weekly amount; limit only fresh/frozen tuna, shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy, escolar.Source

  • Australia

    • Sushi with raw fish: sashimi, nigiri and raw fish rollsAvoid
    • Sushi made with cooked fishCheck
    • California roll with imitation crabAvoid
    • Shrimp tempura rollCheck
    • 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
    • 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
    • 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

  • New Zealand

    • Sushi with raw fish: sashimi, nigiri and raw fish rollsAvoid
    • Sushi made with cooked fishCheck
    • California roll with imitation crabAvoid
    • Shrimp tempura rollCheck
    • Health NZUnsafe for pregnant people: raw oysters, sashimi, sushi and other chilled seafood.Source
    • Health NZAvoid cooked ready-to-eat prawns.Source
    • Health NZMost commonly eaten NZ fish can be eaten freely; low-mercury species need no restriction.Source

  • Ireland

    • Sushi with raw fish: sashimi, nigiri and raw fish rollsAvoid
    • Sushi made with cooked fishCheck
    • California roll with imitation crabAvoid
    • Shrimp tempura rollCheck
    • HSEAvoid raw or smoked fish, including sushi.Source
    • HSEAvoid clams, oysters, scallops, prawns, mussels - risk highest if pre-cooked.Source
What to check

Before you eat sushi.

  1. Skip raw fish, even if it was frozen

    The FDA asks pregnant people to avoid raw fish and partially cooked seafood, and the NHS lists sushi made with raw fish, even if previously frozen, as a food to avoid. FSANZ says freezing kills parasites but not bacteria such as listeria. NHS

  2. In Australia and New Zealand, make sushi at home

    NSW Food Authority says not to eat store-bought sushi in pregnancy, and accepts sushi made at home without raw fish. Health NZ asks for home-made sushi to use freshly cooked rice, no raw or cold cooked seafood, and to be eaten straight away. NSW Food Authority

  3. Choose fillings cooked and served hot

    FoodSafety.gov asks for seafood cooked to 145°F. Cold pre-cooked seafood, like the imitation crab in a California roll, shows Avoid in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, where Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says not to eat pre-cooked prawns. FoodSafety.gov

Questions

About sushi
in pregnancy.

The concern is raw fish. The NHS says raw fish can carry listeria and parasites, and Health Canada asks you to avoid raw seafood such as sushi and to cook seafood to 74°C (165°F).

The FDA asks pregnant people to avoid raw fish, partially cooked seafood and refrigerated smoked seafood. FoodSafety.gov names raw sushi, sashimi and ceviche, and asks for seafood cooked to 145°F.

Sushi made with cooked fish shows Check in Doola Scan in all six countries, for the weekly fish amount. In Australia and New Zealand, NSW Food Authority and Health NZ advise against shop-bought sushi, so make it at home there.

A California roll, made with imitation crab, shows Check in the US, UK and Canada and Avoid in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, where the guidance on cold pre-cooked seafood is stricter.

Unagi is grilled eel, so it is cooked fish. An unagi roll shows Check in all six countries, and Health NZ puts eel among the fish that need no mercury limit.

The guidance is the same in every trimester. Sushi with raw fish shows Avoid from the first weeks of pregnancy to the last.

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.

Yes. Take a photo of the menu, and Doola Scan marks each roll and piece against your country's pregnancy guidance. Menu scans are part of Premium.
Doola Scan

Not sure about a meal? Scan it.

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.