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Raw seafood in pregnancy

In the body: Raw seafood can carry germs and parasites that are riskier in pregnancy.

Not rated by dose: a flag on 4 reviewed foods, among them Pacific oysters, raw, raw farmed salmon and Clams, cooked. The list below has a line for each of 5 preparations.

Pregnancy, babies and young children. Stricter agency advice for these stages of life. Gram figures elsewhere on this site count a 70 kg adult, unadjusted for pregnancy, babies or young children; the advice here is the agency’s own for them.

All hazards

The reference value and where it comes from

  • The agency’s figureno agency dose value
  • Basisagency advice: raw seafood in pregnancy
  • Source Health Canada 2025

Reviewed foods that carry it

4 reviewed foods carry it; none is rated by dose. A food counts once, as in the foods list: preparations sharing a page (raw and cooked, canned) count once; one with its own page counts apart. Below, one line for each of 5 preparations.

How often you can eat it

No food here is rated by dose. Each line says why it’s listed: a flag for the people the source names, advice on handling it, or context.

Flags and context, not rated by dose

  • Clams, cooked

    Worth knowing

    Health Canada 2025 · grade A

    How it’s rated

    Flagged for pregnancy: Health Canada advises against raw and undercooked seafood during pregnancy. The headline clam form here is cooked.

    Intake: 100 g cooked (HC TRA I.3), one serving a day

    Measured on: not stated in the draft

  • Eastern oysters, raw

    Worth knowing

    Health Canada 2025 · grade A

    How it’s rated

    Flagged for pregnancy: Health Canada advises avoiding raw oysters, clams and mussels; shellfish cooked until the shell has opened is the safe alternative.

    Intake: not applicable (flag)

    Measured on: not stated in the draft

  • Farmed salmon, raw

    Worth knowing

    Health Canada 2025 · grade A

    How it’s rated

    For pregnancy: Health Canada lists raw seafood such as sushi among foods to avoid; cook seafood to 74 °C.

    Intake: not applicable (flag)

    Measured on: raw salmon (sushi, sashimi, tartare)

  • Mussels, cooked

    Worth knowing

    Health Canada 2025 · grade A

    How it’s rated

    Flagged for pregnancy: Health Canada advises against raw and undercooked seafood in pregnancy. The mussel form rated here is cooked.

    Intake: 100 g cooked (HC TRA I.3), one serving a day

    Measured on: not stated in the draft

  • Pacific oysters, raw

    Worth knowing

    Health Canada 2025 · grade A

    How it’s rated

    Flagged for pregnancy: Health Canada advises avoiding raw oysters, clams and mussels; shellfish cooked until the shell has opened is the safe alternative.

    Intake: not applicable (flag)

    Measured on: not stated in the draft

Sources