Is Canned tuna safe during pregnancy?

Fish

Limit: light tuna is a Best Choice; NHS cap of 4 cans a week

FDA/EPA rates canned light tuna a Best Choice and albacore a Good Choice; the NHS says to eat no more than 4 cans of tuna a week.[1,2,3]

What official sources say

US FDA / US EPA: Advice about Eating Fish (For Those Who Might Become or Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding and Children Ages 1 - 11 Years)

  • Fish chart: Tuna, canned light (includes skipjack) Best Choice[1]
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Eat 2 to 3 servings a week from the "Best Choices" list (OR 1 serving from the "Good Choices" list).[1]
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding: 1 serving is 4 ounces[1]
  • Those who are pregnant or breastfeeding consume between 8 and 12 ounces per week of a variety of seafood from choices that are lower in mercury.[1]
  • Fish chart: Tuna, albacore/white tuna, canned and fresh/frozen Good Choice[1]

US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women

  • Safer Choice: Fish that contain low amounts of mercury, such as …[2]
  • Fish that contain low amounts of mercury, such as: Canned light tuna[2]
  • Safer Choice: Canned fish and seafood[2]

NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

  • Fish and seafood › Foods to limit: Tuna should be limited in pregnancy to no more than 4 cans or 2 tuna steaks a week.[3]
  • Tuna and oily fish can contain pollutants, including mercury, that may harm the baby if you eat too much of them.[3]

Related general rules

ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024

  • Chia seeds, mackerel, tuna and flax seeds are shown as foods rich in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (LCn-3PUFA). (p. 19)[4]

Nutrition per 100 g (USDA)

Energy90 kcal
Protein19 g
Sugars0 g
Iron1.67 mg
Calcium18 mg
Vitamin D1.2 µg
Vitamin B122.57 µg
Iodine0 µg
DHA (omega-3)0.197 g
EPA (omega-3)0.025 g
Sodium219 mg

USDA FoodData Central: Fish, tuna, light, canned in water, drained solids (FDC ID 334194), per 100 g. Public domain. Values describe that USDA record; composition varies with variety and preparation.

Sources

  1. US FDA / US EPA: Advice about Eating Fish (For Those Who Might Become or Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding and Children Ages 1 - 11 Years) · fda.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  2. US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women · cdc.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  3. NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy · nhs.uk. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). Not endorsed by the NHS.
  4. ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 · nin.res.in. Printed page 19. Paraphrased and cited by printed page; the text is not reproduced.

Sources checked 26 September 2026.

Quotes are checked word for word against each source page, and paraphrases against the original text. Official bodies are named as sources only: none of them reviewed or endorses this page.

Educational information, not medical advice. Your own doctor or midwife may advise differently for you — follow their advice.