Pregnancy food guidance, in plain English

Shellfish

Cooked shellfish is safe during pregnancy. Raw shellfish — including raw oysters and clams — should be avoided.

Eat with caution
Shellfish

Shellfish includes prawns, crab, lobster, mussels, clams, scallops, and oysters. Cooked shellfish is safe to eat during pregnancy and can be part of a healthy diet. Raw shellfish, however, carries a higher risk of harmful bacteria and viruses — including norovirus and Vibrio — and this risk is heightened during pregnancy when the immune system is naturally more suppressed. Prawns are one of the most commonly eaten shellfish during pregnancy and are perfectly safe as long as they are thoroughly cooked and served hot. When cooking mussels or clams, discard any that have not opened.

What to be aware of

  • Avoid all raw shellfish — including raw oysters, raw clams, and any uncooked shellfish.
  • Prawns should be pink and opaque throughout before eating — not grey or translucent.
  • Mussels and clams should be open after cooking — discard any that remain closed.
  • Avoid shellfish from unknown or untested sources.

NHS guidance: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/foods-to-avoid/

US guidance

The FDA and CDC in the US explicitly advise pregnant women to avoid raw shellfish, particularly raw oysters and clams, due to risks of Vibrio bacteria and other pathogens — consistent with NHS guidance.

Pregnancy-safe recipes

These recipes are designed with pregnancy safety in mind.

Prawn stir-fry with noodles

Prawn stir-fry with noodles

A quick, high-heat stir-fry that ensures prawns are cooked all the way through.

Pregnancy tip: Prawns cook very fast in a hot pan. They are ready when fully pink and opaque — grey or translucent prawns need more time.

Ingredients

  • 200g raw king prawns, peeled and deveined
  • 2 portions egg noodles, cooked
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • Spring onions to serve

Method

  1. Heat sesame oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat.
  2. Add garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds.
  3. Add prawns and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until fully pink and opaque throughout.
  4. Add sliced pepper and stir for another minute.
  5. Add cooked noodles and soy sauce and toss to combine.
  6. Serve immediately topped with sliced spring onions.
Garlic butter mussels

Garlic butter mussels

Classic steamed mussels cooked until fully open — a quick and impressive dish.

Pregnancy tip: Mussels are cooked when they have opened. Discard any that remain closed. This is a reliable visual check that they are safely cooked through.

Ingredients

  • 1kg fresh mussels, cleaned and debearded
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 150ml dry white grape juice or chicken stock
  • 30g butter
  • Fresh parsley, chopped
  • Crusty bread to serve

Method

  1. Rinse mussels under cold water and discard any that are already open and do not close when tapped.
  2. Melt butter in a large pan with a lid over medium heat.
  3. Add garlic and soften for 1 minute.
  4. Add liquid and bring to a simmer.
  5. Add mussels, put the lid on, and cook on high heat for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.
  6. Open the lid — all mussels should be open. Discard any that are still closed.
  7. Scatter with parsley and serve with crusty bread.