Is it safe to eat tuna during pregnancy?

Yes, it’s safe to eat two or three serves of canned or fresh, cooked tuna a week, as part of a balanced diet.

Although pregnant women are advised to avoid eating a lot of fish that’s high in mercury, Australian tuna, and wild-caught tuna from the waters around Australia, are generally considered to be low in mercury. Canned tuna usually has even lower levels of mercury because it’s made from the younger, smaller fish.

Fish such as shark (flake), marlin, swordfish (broadbill), orange roughy (deep-sea perch) and catfish can contain higher levels of mercury. So you should limit how much of these you eat. Although the mercury in these fish won't harm you, it can harm your baby's developing nervous system.

Fish is a recommended part of a healthy diet and you can tuck into cooked tuna and other fish, such as mackerel, snapper, sardines and Atlantic salmon, two or three times a week.

It's important to distinguish between fresh tuna and canned tuna. Although both are fine to eat, fresh, cooked tuna is much better for you and your baby. It's packed with protein, vitamins and minerals. It's also a good source of essential omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for your baby's developing brain.

Canned tuna is still good for you, but has fewer omega-3 fatty acids than fresh tuna because of the canning process. If you do decide to go for canned tuna, look for one packed in water, because that preserves more of the omega-3s. And try to choose one with no added salt. You could also rinse the tuna for a few minutes to further reduce the sodium content.

Read more about eating fish and seafood during pregnancy.