Can you eat smoked salmon when pregnant?
Smoked salmon, gravlax — and even cold ready-to-eat prawns — now need cooking first.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Christopher Sterling, obstetrician ·
The short answer
Cold-smoked or cured fish such as smoked salmon, lox and gravlax should only be eaten when cooked until steaming hot. Canned or shelf-stable smoked fish, and smoked salmon cooked in a hot dish, are fine.
Why it matters
Cold smoking flavours fish without heating it enough to kill bacteria, so listeria can survive and grow in the fridge.
The NHS says cold-smoked and cured fish must be cooked until steaming hot in pregnancy — and the same now applies to cold, pre-cooked ready-to-eat prawns. US guidance similarly says to avoid refrigerated smoked seafood unless it is in a cooked dish.
What to do
- Cook smoked salmon into pasta, quiche or scrambled eggs until steaming.
- Choose canned salmon or hot-smoked fish that you heat through.
- Skip lox bagels, gravlax and smoked salmon platters for now.
- Heat cold cooked prawns until steaming too — prawn cocktail is one to skip.
Common questions
Is smoked salmon in cooked pasta safe during pregnancy?
Yes, as long as it is heated until steaming hot all the way through.
Sources
Medically reviewed by Dr. Christopher Sterling, obstetrician, on against the sources above. Guidance can differ between countries — always follow the advice of your own midwife, doctor or pharmacist. Medical disclaimer.
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