Can Pregnant Women Eat Tuna?
Whole fish contain vital nutrients including Omega-3 fatty acid (DHA and EPA), protein, vitamins, and minerals such as iron. These nutrients are essential, particularly for pregnant moms and kids, as they foster healthy fetal, infant and childhood development. Tuna is higher in Omega 3s and nutrients than most fish but many health experts recommend that pregnant women avoid canned tuna because of one problem – mercury. Mercury levels can vary widely in individual tuna (even smaller ones). Learn more about mercury levels in fish.
There is a new canned tuna called Safe Catch Elite that is made for pregnant women and children. Safe Catch invented new technology to become the only brand that tests every fish for its mercury level. Safe Catch Elite canned tuna is as pure as wild salmon or wild sardines.
The Safe Catch Elite is the only canned tuna on the market that meets Consumer Reports’ “Low Mercury” criteria for pregnant women and children and is a trusted partner of Healthy Child, Healthy World (an Environmental Working Group company).
We also recommend Safe Catch because it is among a very select group that does not use precook processing, and as a result, it retains 100% of the nutrients found in whole tuna fish. Conventional canned tuna brands use precook processing that leeches up to 80% of the Omega 3s from the fish before it is canned. Safe Catch is non-GMO, BPA free, additive-free, dolphin-safe, and sustainably caught.