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’s been frozen first.
You should also limit the amount of some types of fish that you eat whilst pregnant, such as tuna and oily fish. For more information, see Should pregnant and breast feeding women avoid some types of fish?
Sushi made with raw fish
Occasionally, raw fish such as salmon contains small parasitic worms, such as anisakid worms, 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 anisakiasis (or anisakidosis). Symptoms include:
- severe abdominal pain
- nausea and vomiting
- diarrhoea
- other gastrointestinal symptoms, including abnormal tissue growth (lesions) in the stomach or intestine
The disease is unpleasant and painful, and in very rare cases can be fatal. Eating fish contaminated with anisakid worms can also cause an allergic reaction.
Freezing raw fish kills any worms that may be present and makes it safe to eat.
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, are also used to make raw fish safe to eat.
Sushi made with shellfish
A lot of sushi contains shellfish such as:
- shrimps
- prawns
- crab
- 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
Sushi that is sold in shops or restaurants, whether ready made or made in the shop, should be safe to eat. Food safety regulations require shops and restaurants to freeze raw fish used to make sushi at -20C for at least 24 hours.
Homemade sushi
If you make your own sushi at home, freeze the fish for at least 24 hours before using it.
Read the answers to more questions about pregnancy.
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