Can You Eat Smoked Salmon When Pregnant?
Written by Jordan Morley · Reviewed against NHS foods-to-avoid guidance · Last updated 28 October 2026
NHS guidance now advises avoiding cold-smoked or cured fish like smoked salmon during pregnancy unless it is thoroughly cooked, due to the listeria risk.
Why is smoked salmon a concern in pregnancy?
Cold-smoked and cured fish such as smoked salmon is not cooked during production, and it has been linked to listeria outbreaks. Because listeriosis in pregnancy can be serious for the baby, NHS and FSA guidance advises pregnant women to avoid smoked salmon unless it has been thoroughly cooked — for example in a fully cooked dish that is piping hot throughout.
You can also check the calorie content of smoked salmon alongside its safety information. Also check medication safety during pregnancy if you're managing any conditions.
The exception
Smoked Salmon is fine if thoroughly cooked until piping hot — for example in a cooked pasta bake, tart or fishcake. Cold-smoked salmon in sushi or sashimi rolls falls under this same rule, so smoked salmon rolls are out in our sushi guide.
What kind of smoked salmon is it?
'Smoked salmon' on a UK shelf is almost always cold-smoked, which means it has not been cooked in production. The Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland say in a joint notice that cold-smoked and cured fish 'have not been fully cooked during the production process', so any listeria present may survive. They advise pregnant women to avoid ready-to-eat cold-smoked and cured fish such as smoked salmon, smoked trout and gravlax, or to cook it until steaming hot all the way through.
| Product | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sliced smoked salmon in a pack, cold | Avoid cold; cook until steaming hot | Cold-smoked (FSA/FSS notice; NHS) |
| Gravlax, cured or 'lox' style salmon | Avoid cold; cook until steaming hot | Cured fish (FSA/FSS notice; NHS) |
| Smoked trout | Same rule | The FSA/FSS notice names smoked trout alongside smoked salmon and gravlax |
| Hot-smoked salmon (flaked or a fillet) | Not named in the NHS wording; check the pack says hot-smoked and keep it chilled and in date. If in doubt, heat it | Hot-smoked fish is cooked during smoking, according to Healthline; the FSA/FSS notice does not discuss it directly. Healthline (US) still advises heating even hot-smoked salmon to 165°F (74°C) |
| Tinned or shelf-stable smoked fish | Safe without further cooking | FSA/FSS: heat-treated during production |
| Smoked salmon cream cheese or bagel filling, sushi roll, blini canapé, eggs Royale | Avoid unless the salmon was cooked in the dish | Cold-smoked salmon, uncooked |
'Warming it through' is not enough
The FSA and FSS notice is specific: adding smoked salmon to pasta or scrambled eggs without proper cooking may not kill listeria, because the fish does not reach a high enough temperature. If you cook with it, make sure the salmon is steaming hot all the way through, not just wilted on top of hot food. A tart, fishcake or bake that spends time in a hot oven is a safer route than a quick toss through warm pasta.
Why the advice is firm: the outbreak
The same FSA/FSS notice says an ongoing UK listeria outbreak linked to ready-to-eat cold-smoked and cured fish has cases going back to 2020, and that for higher-risk people the chance of infection is low but the severity can be high. It describes listeriosis in pregnancy as able to lead to miscarriage or stillbirth. That is the evidence behind NHS wording that smoked salmon 'must be cooked until steaming hot'.
Why you may see conflicting advice
Huggies UK (27 May 2024) lists smoked salmon and smoked trout as safe; the FSA/FSS notice and NHS wording say the opposite for cold-smoked fish. Healthline (US, May 2020) correctly says to avoid cold-smoked salmon but is written for US readers and does not carry the UK outbreak notice. Check the date on any pregnancy page and prefer the NHS, NHS Wales and FSA.
If you have already eaten some
The FSA and FSS say to watch for a temperature of 38°C or above, aches, chills, sickness or diarrhoea, and to contact NHS 111 or your GP if you are pregnant and think you may have listeriosis. The NHS adds that you do not need to do anything unless you get symptoms.
Sources checked
Everything in the sections above was checked against these pages on 28 October 2026.
- Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland: listeria risk in ready-to-eat cold-smoked and cured fish — joint FSA/FSS notice: avoid cold-smoked and cured fish or cook until steaming hot; warming in pasta or eggs not enough; tinned smoked fish heat-treated; outbreak since 2020; symptoms
- NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy (page last reviewed 15 June 2026) — cold-smoked and cured fish like smoked salmon must be cooked until steaming hot; last reviewed 15 June 2026
- NHS Wales 111: Foods to avoid in pregnancy (last updated 23 July 2026) — same wording on NHS Wales (updated 23 July 2026)
- NHS: Fish and shellfish (page last reviewed 26 June 2026) — pregnant women: no more than 2 portions of oily fish a week; salmon is oily fish
- Healthline: Smoked salmon and pregnancy (May 2020) — rival (US, 2020): cold-smoked vs hot-smoked; advises heating to 165°F
- Huggies UK: Foods to avoid when pregnant (27 May 2024) — rival: lists smoked salmon as safe (27 May 2024)
- NHS: Listeriosis — do nothing unless symptoms; contact midwife, GP or 111
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Check Price →Smoked Salmon: the other answers on this site
| Question | Short answer (links to the full page) |
|---|---|
| While breastfeeding | Safe — max 2 portions a week |
| Past the date on the label | No — use-by means use by |
Common questions
Can I eat smoked salmon in the first trimester?
The advice to avoid uncooked smoked salmon applies throughout pregnancy, including the first trimester.
Is a small amount of smoked salmon OK during pregnancy?
The NHS advises avoiding uncooked smoked salmon entirely during pregnancy rather than limiting it.
I accidentally ate smoked salmon while pregnant — what should I do?
The risk from a single portion is low, so try not to worry. Keep an eye out for flu-like symptoms over the next few weeks and speak to your midwife or GP if you feel unwell.
Is cooked smoked salmon safe in pregnancy?
Yes — smoked salmon that has been thoroughly cooked until piping hot is safe to eat during pregnancy.
Can I have smoked salmon on a bagel or in sushi when pregnant?
Not as served cold. Cold-smoked salmon in a bagel, blini, canapé or sushi roll has not been cooked. The FSA and FSS say pregnant women should avoid it or cook it until steaming hot all the way through.
Is hot-smoked salmon safe in pregnancy?
Hot-smoked salmon is cooked during smoking, but the NHS and FSA wording we read only names cold-smoked and cured fish, so there is no official line on hot-smoked. Make sure the pack says hot-smoked, keep it chilled and in date, and heat it if you want to be certain.
Can I eat smoked salmon if I cook it in pasta or scrambled eggs?
Only if the salmon gets steaming hot all the way through. The FSA and FSS warn that simply adding it to pasta or eggs may not be hot enough.
Is tinned smoked salmon OK?
Yes. The FSA and FSS say tinned smoked fish is heat-treated during production and can be eaten without further cooking.
Does smoked salmon count towards my oily fish limit?
Yes. Salmon is oily fish, and the NHS says pregnant women should have no more than 2 portions of oily fish a week.
Related answers
Primary source: NHS foods-to-avoid guidance.
General information only, not medical advice: see the medical disclaimer. Feeling unwell after eating something? Contact NHS 111 or your GP.