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Disclaimer: This guide is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always confirm medicine, supplement and product decisions with your obstetrician, midwife, pharmacist or healthcare provider.

Food & Drink

Are Scallops Safe During Pregnancy?

Published 2026-08-07 | By SafeMama Editorial Team | Editorial policy

Are Scallops Safe During Pregnancy? pregnancy safety guide image

Short answer

Scallops are a pregnancy-safety question about cooking, not just the seafood name. Fully cooked scallops are the safer choice; raw, seared-rare or undercooked scallops should be avoided.

Cook thoroughly

Scallops in pregnancy: how to think about it

CDC pregnancy food-safety guidance treats raw or undercooked seafood as a riskier choice and lists cooked seafood as safer. NHS guidance also advises avoiding raw shellfish in pregnancy.

Working through a longer grocery list? The Pregnancy Food Safety Hub gathers all 50 SafeMama food and drink guides, grouped by pasteurization, cooking temperature and mercury questions.

Scallops: safer choices

  • Choose scallops that are cooked all the way through.
  • Eat them promptly after cooking or keep them safely chilled.
  • Use clean utensils and separate raw seafood from ready-to-eat foods.

Scallops: what to avoid or double-check

  • Avoid raw scallops, ceviche-style scallops, seared-rare scallops and undercooked shellfish.
  • Avoid chilled seafood platters with unclear refrigeration.
  • Avoid seafood linked to recalls or harvested from unsafe waters.

How SafeMama helps

SafeMama can flag scallops, shellfish, ceviche, sushi, raw seafood wording, buffet trays and cooking instructions so the safer preparation step is visible.

Open the SafeMama app, scan the barcode or search the ingredient, then use the result as a starting point for a conversation with your healthcare provider.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Can pregnant women eat seared scallops?

Only if they are cooked through. Restaurant scallops are sometimes seared while still translucent inside, so ask if you are unsure.

Are raw scallops safe if they are fresh?

No. Freshness does not remove the pregnancy food-poisoning concern with raw shellfish.

What symptoms after shellfish should I report?

Call for vomiting, diarrhea, fever, dehydration, severe abdominal pain, allergic symptoms or symptoms that feel unusual.

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