Is Ceviche safe during pregnancy?

Seafood & shellfish

Avoid (raw fish)

The US CDC lists ceviche as a riskier choice, and FSANZ says pregnant women should not eat raw fish.[1,2,3]

What official sources say

US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women

  • Riskier Choice: Raw or undercooked fish or shellfish, including sashimi, sushi, and ceviche[1]

FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people

  • Higher-risk foods: Oysters, sushi, sashimi, ceviche (advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[2]

FSANZ: Raw fish dishes

  • Vulnerable people, including pregnant women, the elderly or ill should not eat raw fish because of potential risks such as Listeria bacteria.[3]

Related general rules

US FDA: Meat, Poultry & Seafood (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)

  • Raw fish (such as sushi or sashimi) or foods made with raw fish are more likely to contain parasites or bacteria than foods made from cooked fish, so it's important to cook fish thoroughly.[4]

Sources

  1. US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women · cdc.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  2. FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  3. FSANZ: Raw fish dishes · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  4. US FDA: Meat, Poultry & Seafood (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be) · fda.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.

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.