Can you eat shrimp when pregnant?
What the FDA and the CDC say, and how Lanatag flags it on a menu.
On the FDA and EPA fish chart, shrimp is listed as a “Best Choice”. The CDC lists shrimp in its “Safer Choice” column, and “raw or undercooked fish or shellfish” in its “Riskier Choice” column. This is not medical advice: your doctor or midwife stays your reference.
What the FDA says
The FDA and the EPA publish a chart called “Advice about Eating Fish” (“Content current as of: 03/05/2024”). The FDA writes that “This advice refers to fish and shellfish collectively as “fish.”” Its chart sorts fish by mercury level. Shrimp appears in the “Best Choice” list. For pregnancy and breastfeeding, the page says: “1 serving is 4 ounces. Eat 2 to 3 servings a week from the "Best Choices" list (OR 1 serving from the "Good Choices" list).” It adds: “What is a serving? As a guide, use the palm of your hand.”
What the CDC says
The CDC table “Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women” (“Jan. 31, 2025”) puts “Raw or undercooked fish or shellfish, including sashimi, sushi, and ceviche” in its “Riskier Choice” column. In the “Safer Choice” column it lists “Shellfish cooked until shells open during cooking or until flesh is pearly or white, and opaque”, and, among “Fish that contain low amounts of mercury”, “Shrimp”.
Raw, cooked, cold
- Cooked. The CDC describes shellfish cooked “until shells open during cooking or until flesh is pearly or white, and opaque” in its “Safer Choice” column.
- Raw or undercooked (ceviche, raw shrimp on a sushi menu). The CDC puts “Raw or undercooked fish or shellfish, including sashimi, sushi, and ceviche” in its “Riskier Choice” column.
- Cooked, then served cold (shrimp cocktail, a buffet platter). The CDC page and the FDA page do not mention shrimp that was cooked and then served cold. Ask your doctor or midwife. At a restaurant, you can ask how the shrimp was prepared.
How Lanatag flags shrimp at a restaurant
Choose Mum-to-be in your profile. Lanatag follows the authority of your phone’s country and names it on each alert; with a phone set to the United States, that is the CDC. When a menu line shows raw shellfish, Lanatag marks the dish as one to avoid, with the reason and the authority’s name. Lanatag reads the menu, not the kitchen. The card to show the waiter says “I am pregnant.” and “Meat, fish, eggs and shellfish very well cooked, please.”
Frequently asked questions
Can pregnant women eat shrimp?
The FDA lists shrimp as a “Best Choice” on its fish chart, and the CDC lists “Shrimp” in its “Safer Choice” column under “Fish that contain low amounts of mercury”. The CDC puts “Raw or undercooked fish or shellfish, including sashimi, sushi, and ceviche” in its “Riskier Choice” column. This is not medical advice: ask your doctor or midwife.
How much shrimp can you eat when pregnant?
For pregnancy and breastfeeding, the FDA says: “1 serving is 4 ounces. Eat 2 to 3 servings a week from the "Best Choices" list (OR 1 serving from the "Good Choices" list).” Shrimp is on the “Best Choices” list. Lanatag does not count servings: it reads one menu or one label at a time. Ask your doctor or midwife what suits you.
What about shrimp cocktail, or shrimp that was cooked and then chilled?
The CDC page and the FDA page cited here do not mention shrimp that was cooked and then chilled. The CDC puts “Raw or undercooked fish or shellfish, including sashimi, sushi, and ceviche” in its “Riskier Choice” column. If you are not sure how a dish was prepared, ask the restaurant, and ask your doctor or midwife about chilled shellfish.
Does Lanatag replace my doctor or midwife?
No. Lanatag reads the menu or the label, not the kitchen. It follows the guidance of the authority for your phone’s country, names it on each alert, and sorts dishes and products with their reason. It is not medical advice: your doctor or midwife stays your reference.
Official sources read on October 15, 2026: FDA, Advice about Eating Fish (content current as of 03/05/2024); CDC, Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women (Jan. 31, 2025).
Not medical advice. Ask your doctor or midwife.
