Doola
Download app now

Can I eat sushi rolls while pregnant?

Avoid Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Sushi rolls with raw fish, such as tuna, salmon or yellowtail rolls, show Avoid in Doola Scan in all six countries, while rolls with cooked fillings, like shrimp tempura or unagi rolls, show Check. A California roll, made with cold imitation crab, shows Check in the US, UK and Canada and Avoid in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. In Australia, NSW Food Authority also says not to eat store-bought sushi in pregnancy, and accepts sushi made at home without raw fish.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Rolls with raw fish: tuna, salmon, yellowtail, spicy tuna

    AvoidIn all six countries

  • California roll with imitation crab

    CheckUnited StatesUnited KingdomCanadaAvoidAustraliaNew ZealandIreland

  • Shrimp tempura roll

    CheckIn all six countries

  • Unagi (grilled eel) roll

    CheckIn all six countries

  • Rolls made with other cooked fish

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

Sushi roll while pregnant: what each country says.

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

  • United States

    • Rolls with raw fish: tuna, salmon, yellowtail, spicy tunaAvoid
    • California roll with imitation crabCheck
    • Shrimp tempura rollCheck
    • Unagi (grilled eel) rollCheck
    • Rolls made with other cooked fishCheck
    • 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
    • FDAHalibut is a Good Choice: 1 serving (4 oz) a week instead of Best Choices.Source

  • United Kingdom

    • Rolls with raw fish: tuna, salmon, yellowtail, spicy tunaAvoid
    • California roll with imitation crabCheck
    • Shrimp tempura rollCheck
    • Unagi (grilled eel) rollCheck
    • Rolls made with other cooked fishCheck
    • 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

    • Rolls with raw fish: tuna, salmon, yellowtail, spicy tunaAvoid
    • California roll with imitation crabCheck
    • Shrimp tempura rollCheck
    • Unagi (grilled eel) rollCheck
    • Rolls made with other cooked fishCheck
    • 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

    • Rolls with raw fish: tuna, salmon, yellowtail, spicy tunaAvoid
    • California roll with imitation crabAvoid
    • Shrimp tempura rollCheck
    • Unagi (grilled eel) rollCheck
    • Rolls made with other cooked fishCheck
    • 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

    • Rolls with raw fish: tuna, salmon, yellowtail, spicy tunaAvoid
    • California roll with imitation crabAvoid
    • Shrimp tempura rollCheck
    • Unagi (grilled eel) rollCheck
    • Rolls made with other cooked fishCheck
    • 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
    • Health NZEel (long or short finned) needs no restriction for mercury in pregnancy; halibut not listed.Source

  • Ireland

    • Rolls with raw fish: tuna, salmon, yellowtail, spicy tunaAvoid
    • California roll with imitation crabAvoid
    • Shrimp tempura rollCheck
    • Unagi (grilled eel) rollCheck
    • Rolls made with other cooked fishCheck
    • 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 roll.

  1. Pick rolls with no raw fish

    The FDA asks pregnant people to avoid raw fish and partially cooked seafood, and FoodSafety.gov names raw sushi and sashimi. If the tuna or salmon in a roll is raw, that advice applies, so ask the restaurant how it is made. FoodSafety.gov

  2. In Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, skip cold cooked seafood

    Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says not to eat pre-cooked prawns, and Health NZ advises against cooked ready-to-eat prawns. Doola Scan applies this to the cold imitation crab in a California roll and shows Avoid in these three. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby

  3. In Australia and New Zealand, roll your own

    NSW Food Authority says not to eat store-bought sushi in pregnancy. 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

Questions

About sushi roll
in pregnancy.

Rolls with cooked fillings show Check in all six countries: shrimp tempura, unagi and other cooked fish. A California roll shows Check in the US, UK and Canada and Avoid in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. Rolls with raw fish show Avoid everywhere.

A California roll shows Check in the US, UK and Canada and Avoid in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. The difference is the cold imitation crab: those three countries name pre-cooked prawns and seafood as foods to avoid.

A shrimp tempura roll shows Check in all six countries, for the weekly fish amount. The FDA lists shrimp among its Best Choices.

An unagi roll, made with grilled eel, shows Check in all six countries. Health NZ puts eel among the fish that need no mercury limit in pregnancy.

Cucumber and avocado show No known issues on their own in Doola Scan, and the rice and fillings have no raw fish. In Australia and New Zealand, the advice on shop-bought sushi still applies.

None of these countries' pregnancy food lists names tobiko or masago, the small roe on many rolls.

The guidance is the same in every trimester. Raw fish rolls show Avoid from the first weeks to the last.

Yes. Take a photo of the menu, and Doola Scan marks each roll 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.

Download app now
More foods
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.