Is Hilsa (ilish) safe during pregnancy?
Indian foodFish Also called Hilsa (Hindi); Ilishmach, Ilish, Hilsa, Ilisha, Hilsha (Bengali); Karuva ullam, Sevva, Dolum, Ullam, Oolum (Tamil); Palasah, Polasa, Palasa, Palia (Telugu); Palva, Chaksi, Pala, Palla (Marathi); Paluva, Valava, Paliyah (Malayalam); Palasa, Paliya, Polasa, Palia, Mullasu (Kannada); Chaski, Palla, Chaksi, Chakshi (Gujarati).
No official guidance
None of the official sources we searched names hilsa in its pregnancy advice, so there is no official verdict. The general rules below still apply.
No official guidance
We searched these official sources for “Hilsa”, “Ilish” and “Pulasa”. None names this food in its pregnancy advice, so this page gives no verdict of its own.
- US FDA / US EPA: Advice about Eating Fish (For Those Who Might Become or Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding and Children Ages 1 - 11 Years)
- US FDA: Meat, Poultry & Seafood (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)
- US FDA: Dairy and Eggs (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)
- US FDA: Fruits, Veggies and Juices (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)
- US FDA: Ready-to-Eat Foods (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)
- US FDA: Eating Out & Bringing In (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)
- US FDA: Dietary Advice Before and During Pregnancy
- US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women
- US CDC: Preventing Listeria Infection
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy
- NHS: Have a healthy diet in pregnancy
- NHS: Pregnancy vitamins and supplements
- NHS: Drinking alcohol while pregnant
- FSANZ: Listeria in food
- FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people
- FSANZ: Mercury in fish
- FSANZ: Pregnancy and healthy eating
- FSANZ: Raw fish dishes
- FSSAI: Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 - Compendium Version VIII, Reg. 9 (warnings/declarations)
- FSSAI: Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 - Chapter 2.10 Beverages (Version 3): standards for carbonated and non-carbonated caffeinated beverages
- ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024
- NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: cinnamon
- NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: fenugreek
- NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: garlic
- NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: soy
- NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: turmeric
- NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: ginger
- NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: flaxseed-and-flaxseed-oil
- NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: pomegranate
- NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: licorice-root
- NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: aloe-vera
- NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: peppermint-oil
- NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: green-tea
- NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: bromelain
- NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: ashwagandha
- NIH NCCIH: Herbs at a Glance: chamomile
General rules that still apply
US FDA / US EPA: Advice about Eating Fish (For Those Who Might Become or Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding and Children Ages 1 - 11 Years)
- 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]
US FDA: Meat, Poultry & Seafood (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)
Finfish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145° F (63° C).
[2]
US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women
- Safer Choice:
Fish cooked to a safe internal temperature of 145°F or until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork
[3]
FSANZ: Mercury in fish
Although mercury is present at low levels in most fish, there is no need for anyone (including pregnant and breastfeeding women) to stop eating fish altogether.
[4]
FSANZ: Pregnancy and healthy eating
It is safe to eat two to three serves of fish per week, but it is important to limit intakes of fish high in naturally occurring mercury (e.g. flake, swordfish, orange roughy).
[5]
ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024
- Its pregnancy food groups include marine fish and lean meat, at 80 g a day or 250 to 300 g twice a week. (p. 16)[6]
Sources
- 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.
- US FDA: Meat, Poultry & Seafood (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be) · fda.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
- US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women · cdc.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
- FSANZ: Mercury in fish · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.
- FSANZ: Pregnancy and healthy eating · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.
- ICMR-NIN: Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024 · nin.res.in. Printed page 16. 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.