Are scallops safe during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about scallops during pregnancy?

1. Scallops average 0.003 parts per million of mercury, the first entry in an FDA table sorted from the lowest mercury levels to the highest. 1
2. Scallops are a Best Choice, carrying the 2 to 3 servings a week allowance at 4 ounces per serving, and they also appear on the shorter list of species low enough in mercury for young children. 2
3. Scallops, shrimp, crab, and lobster are cooked when the flesh becomes firm, pearly, and opaque, with 145°F the reference internal temperature for most seafood. 3
4. Raw shellfish is the main route for Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which brings abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, and fever an average of about 17 hours after a contaminated meal. 4
5. Seafood eaten within the currently recommended amounts during pregnancy was associated with better social-emotional, behavioral, and aggregate development scores in children. 5

Is scallops safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. Scallops cook in about two minutes a side, which is a real advantage when standing over a stove is unappealing. The doneness cue is visual rather than a thermometer reading: they go from translucent and glossy to pearly white and firm. If the centre still looks glassy, they need longer.
• Second trimester. Restaurant scallops are commonly served seared with a translucent middle, which is a texture preference rather than a safety standard. Asking for them cooked through is a normal request. Raw scallop crudo and scallop ceviche are the preparations to pass on entirely.
• Third trimester. There is no third-trimester change to the guidance. Scallops are lean, so like other white seafood they are a strong low-mercury protein but a modest DHA source. Keeping an oily Best Choices fish in the weekly rotation alongside them covers the omega-3 side during the weeks it matters most.