Is Shrimp / prawns safe during pregnancy?

Fish

Best Choice, cooked only

FDA/EPA lists shrimp as a Best Choice; the NHS says cooked prawns are safe, but cold ready-to-eat prawns must be cooked until steaming hot.[1,2,3,4,5,6]

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: Shrimp 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]

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: Shrimp[2]

NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy

  • Fish and seafood › Safe to eat: Cooked shellfish, including prawns, crab, lobster, squid, mussels, scallops, clams and cockles, is safe to eat in pregnancy.[3]
  • Fish and seafood › Foods to be careful with: Cold, pre-cooked ready-to-eat prawns need care in pregnancy: cook them until steaming hot.[3]

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

  • Cook shrimp, lobster, and scallops until they reach their appropriate color.[4]

FSANZ: Listeria in food

  • Avoid pre-prepared ready-to-eat foods, especially: chilled seafood such as raw oysters, sashimi and sushi, smoked ready-to-eat seafood and cooked ready-to-eat prawns (advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[5]

FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people

  • Higher-risk foods: Smoked seafood, chilled cooked prawns (advice for vulnerable people, including pregnant women)[6]

Related general rules

US CDC: Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women

  • Safer Choice: Shellfish cooked until shells open during cooking or until flesh is pearly or white, and opaque[2]

Nutrition per 100 g (USDA)

Energy85 kcal
Protein20.1 g
Iron0.52 mg
Calcium64 mg
DHA (omega-3)0.031 g
EPA (omega-3)0.03 g
Sodium119 mg

USDA FoodData Central: Crustaceans, shrimp, raw (FDC ID 175179), 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. US FDA: Meat, Poultry & Seafood (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be) · fda.gov. US government work, public domain; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  5. FSANZ: Listeria in food · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; quoted. No endorsement implied.
  6. FSANZ: Food safety for vulnerable people · foodstandards.gov.au. © Food Standards Australia New Zealand, licensed under CC BY 4.0; 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.