OatleafCan I eat smoked salmon while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Refrigerated smoked fish like lox may carry listeria. US advice (FDA, CDC) is to skip it in pregnancy unless it is cooked into a hot dish; canned or shelf-stable smoked fish is fine.
Breastfeeding is not on CDC's list of groups at higher risk from listeria (pregnancy, newborns, age 65 and older, weakened immunity). While breastfeeding, lox and smoked salmon are commonly considered fine, and salmon is a lower-mercury fish.
Safer swaps while pregnant
- Smoked salmon cooked until steaming (e.g. in pasta)
- Canned salmon
- Cooked fresh salmon
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How these answers are made
Oatleaf answers come from public food-safety guidance, mainly the CDC, FDA and EPA for the US and the NHS for the UK. Each answer cites the pages it relies on, and every link was opened and checked in October 2026. Where US and UK advice differ, the answer says so. Written by the Oatleaf team at Astralab Studios. It is general information, not medical advice.
Last reviewed October 2026.