Is Tuna Safe During Pregnancy? (Updated 2026 Guide)
Updated September 10, 2026
The Answer
Yes, you can eat tuna during pregnancy, but the type, amount and preparation matter. Under US FDA/EPA guidance, canned light tuna is a Best Choice, albacore/white and yellowfin need stricter limits, and bigeye should be avoided.
Mercury guidance differs by tuna type: canned light tuna, including skipjack, can be part of a variety of Best Choices totaling 2–3 adult 4-ounce servings per week. If you choose albacore/white or yellowfin instead, have only one 4-ounce serving and no other fish that week; avoid bigeye tuna. Cooking does not remove mercury, but preparation still matters: cook fresh tuna to 145°F or until opaque and flaking, and avoid raw or undercooked tuna and premade refrigerated deli tuna salad.
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✓ What's Safe
- • Choose canned light tuna, including skipjack, as a Best Choice within a varied weekly seafood plan.
- • Plan 2–3 adult 4-ounce servings total per week from a variety of Best Choices not a separate allowance for each kind of fish.
- • For albacore/white or yellowfin tuna, plan only one 4-ounce serving and no other fish that week.
- • Check the label or ask the seller which tuna species you are buying, especially for tuna steaks or fish described only as ahi.
- • Choose fresh tuna cooked to 145°F or until opaque and flaking throughout, rather than with a rare center.
✗ What to Avoid
- • Avoid bigeye tuna during pregnancy.
- • Avoid raw tuna sushi, undercooked tuna and seared tuna with rare centers.
- • Avoid premade refrigerated deli tuna salad, as CDC advises during pregnancy.
- • Do not add an albacore or yellowfin serving on top of your weekly Best Choices allowance.
- • Do not infer tuna species or mercury levels from a brand, oil or water packing, or the word ahi.
- • Do not rely on cooking or mercury tested marketing to override FDA/EPA species specific guidance.
Ingredients in the Reviewed Sample
Selected ingredients are counted once per product where the reviewed source label declares them. Compound label phrases are normalized. These are occurrence counts, not amounts or a complete ingredient list.
Tuna Products We've Analyzed
This page uses a source-reviewed sample of 3 tuna product records. It is not a comprehensive catalog count or a pregnancy-safety ranking.
This sample contains three canned-tuna label records. Their stored grades inherit an overly broad high-mercury category flag, so the grade chart is withheld rather than presented as a species-level comparison. Use the label species and FDA/EPA serving guidance above; these records are not a product recommendation.
Your Questions Answered
Is it okay to eat canned tuna while pregnant?
Yes, with the right type and weekly amount. Canned light tuna, including skipjack, is a Best Choice: include it in a variety of Best Choices totaling 2–3 adult 4-ounce servings per week. Canned albacore/white tuna is a Good Choice instead, limited to one 4-ounce serving with no other fish that week. These allowances are alternatives, not amounts to combine.
Is it safe to eat tuna during pregnancy?
Tuna can fit into your pregnancy diet, but not every type has the same guidance. Choose canned light tuna within the Best Choices allowance, limit albacore/white and yellowfin to one 4-ounce serving with no other fish that week, and avoid bigeye. Fresh tuna also needs to be fully cooked. Cooking addresses preparation concerns but does not remove mercury.
How much tuna can I eat each week while pregnant?
Under US FDA/EPA guidance, choose a variety of Best Choices totaling 2–3 adult 4-ounce servings per week; canned light tuna can be part of that total. If you choose albacore/white or yellowfin, have only one 4-ounce serving and no other fish that week. Do not combine the two allowances. Count ounces rather than cans, since can sizes differ. FDA serving weights are measured before cooking.
Can I eat tuna sushi or seared ahi while pregnant?
Avoid raw tuna sushi and seared tuna with a rare or undercooked center. Cook fresh tuna to 145°F or until opaque and flaking. The term ahi alone does not establish which species you are eating, so ask the seller. Even fully cooked tuna must follow the species specific mercury guidance, and bigeye should be avoided.
Can I eat tuna salad during pregnancy?
CDC advises avoiding premade refrigerated deli tuna salad during pregnancy. That is a different food safety consideration from choosing canned tuna by species and weekly amount. If you prepare tuna salad yourself, the tuna still counts toward your weekly fish allowance. Canned light and albacore/white tuna have different limits, regardless of how you serve them.
Does cooking tuna or choosing water packed tuna reduce mercury concerns?
Cooking does not remove mercury from tuna. Oil or water packing also does not tell you which species you are buying or which serving guidance to follow. Use the tuna type on the label, or ask the seller if it is unclear. Mercury tested marketing does not replace FDA/EPA species specific limits.
How Do We Score Products for Pregnancy Safety?
We analyze each product's ingredients and category to flag known risks and provide cautionary notices for general category safety concerns.
Grades reflect the ingredient and category information available to us. They don’t verify a complete, current label or account for dose, preparation, or contamination. Read them alongside the guidance above, not as a guarantee of pregnancy safety or proof that every use is harmful.
A - Safe
Excellent choice! All ingredients are considered safe during pregnancy.
What to do: Use with confidence.
B - Likely Safe
Pretty much safe with very minimal risk. Some ingredients may have limited pregnancy studies, but no significant safety concerns have been identified.
What to do: Use with confidence.
C - Limit
Contains ingredients with some pregnancy considerations. Research shows these ingredients may have limited safety data, potential for minor hormonal effects, or require caution based on animal studies.
What to do: Use sparingly and consider safer alternatives when available.
D - Caution
Similar to C grade but contains multiple cautionary ingredients. The combination increases overall concern.
What to do: Try to avoid if that makes you feel better. If you've already used it, no need to panic.
F - Avoid
Contains an ingredient Pregnancy Safe recommends avoiding during pregnancy. This may reflect an established risk or a precaution based on limited evidence; check the ingredient guidance and exposure context.
What to do: Do not use during pregnancy. If you've already used it, don't worry - contact your OBGYN if concerned.