Sushi when pregnant?

[twigletpiglet17]

I've just found out I'm pregnant and I'm a huge sushi fan. I particularly love salmon sashimi. The NHS guidance suggests I can still eat it providing the fish has been frozen first, but I was wondering how commonplace this is, and how confident I should be about eating raw fish? Has anyone got any advice? Thanks!

Personally, I would forgo the salmon sashimi unless I made it myself.

A lot of the supermarkets sushi doesn't use raw fish. The salmon is smoked salmon. I had some from M&S yesterday that had a sticker on the packet saying no raw fish.

Tesco does sushi which contains duck and chicken so both clearly cooked first.

Alternatively stick to vegetarian sushi.

It'll be safer using bought sashimi than making it yourself, as you won't know how the salmon was handled before purchase, and it is unlikely to be the correct grade.

It is interesting to note that in Japan, women are not advised to stop eating sushi.

The risk is from parasites, and not food poisoning, so if you would trust the source while not pregnant, you should be able to trust it while you are.

It'll be safer using bought sashimi than making it yourself, as you won't know how the salmon was handled before purchase, and it is unlikely to be the correct grade.

Buy frozen salmon? Then you know it's been frozen, which apparently makes it safe.

EU rules mean that restaurant sushi fish has to be frozen for 24 hours before it is served so you should be fine in any restaurant (personally I'd double check with them beforehand just in case).

Fyi you still can't eat seafood sushi (prawns, shellfish etc), even if it has been frozen (I didn't know this until I looked it up just now).

www.madeformums.com/pregnancy/is-sushi-safe-to-eat-in-pregnancy/

www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/freezing-fish-and-fishery-products

I've been eating shop bought sushi and salmon through my pregnancy and been fine. Don't deprive yourself!

Thanks all, and @erised that's what I was hoping to hear! I know I could forgo it, but I'm already forgoing many of my favourite things so if there's a safe way to eat salmon sushi then I'd be keen to indulge occasionally!

I've eaten sushi at least three times a week throughout my pregnancy and am now 35 weeks. Proper raw sushi, supermarket muck, with no issues. As others have said, in the EU is has to be frozen before sale which kills any parasites, which are the theoretical issue. In any event most salmon in the UK is farmed so will have parasites carefully managed anyway

Just ask your restaurant for reassurance but I’ve visited many with pregnant friends and they’ve been okay for them to enjoy fish. Many will have faq pages which answer the question on their websites, especially chains like itsu www.itsu.com/faq/