It's usually safe to eat sushi and other dishes made with raw fish when you're pregnant. However, depending on what fish the sushi is made from, you may need to make sure that it has been frozen first.
You should also limit the amount of some types of fish that you eat while pregnant, such as tuna and oily fish. For more information, see Should pregnant and breastfeeding women avoid some types of fish?
Sushi made with raw fish
Occasionally, raw fish such as salmon contains small parasitic worms, such as anisakis, which can make you ill. These worms can cause health problems in people if they eat raw or undercooked fish infected with them.
Infection with these worms results in a condition known as anisakidosis (formerly known as anisakiasis or anisakiosis). Symptoms include:
The disease is unpleasant and painful, and in very rare cases can be fatal. Eating fish contaminated with anisakis can also cause an allergic reaction. Freezing raw wild fish kills any worms that may be present and makes it safe to eat.
Certain farmed fish destined to be eaten raw in dishes like sushi, such as farmed salmon, no longer need to be frozen beforehand. This is because these particular types of farmed fish are very unlikely to contain parasitic worms, due to the rearing methods used.
Sushi made with cured fish
Some fish used to make sushi, such as smoked salmon, doesn't need to be frozen before it's used, because smoking kills any worms in the fish. Other methods, such as salting or pickling, also make raw fish safe to eat.
Sushi made with shellfish
A lot of sushi contains shellfish, such as:
- shrimps
- prawns
- crabs
- scallops
When you’re pregnant, you should only eat cooked shellfish. Raw shellfish can contain harmful viruses and bacteria that can cause food poisoning. For more information, see Can I eat shellfish during pregnancy?
If you eat sushi prepared in a restaurant, ask if the shellfish in it has been cooked.
Sushi from shops and restaurants
Lots of the sushi sold in shops is not made at the shop. This type of sushi should be fine to eat, because if a shop or restaurant buys in ready-made sushi, the raw fish used to make it will have been subject to an appropriate freezing treatment.
Homemade sushi
If you make your own sushi at home, freeze the fish for at least four days before using it.
Read the answers to more questions about pregnancy.
Further information:
Your health, your choices