Eating Crab During Pregnancy: Benefits, Safety, and FDA Guidelines

by Oleg Nikitenko April 27, 2023

Eating Crab During Pregnancy: Benefits, Safety, and FDA Guidelines

Crab is one of the best seafood choices during pregnancy — low in mercury, high in lean protein, and packed with nutrients that are critical for fetal development. The FDA and EPA specifically list crab as a "Best Choice" seafood for pregnant women, recommending 2–3 servings (8–12 oz) per week. The key safety rule is simple: always eat fully cooked crab.

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FDA Guidelines: Is Crab Safe During Pregnancy?

Yes — crab is safe to eat during pregnancy when fully cooked. The FDA and EPA jointly publish seafood consumption advice for pregnant women, and crab is listed in the "Best Choices" category — the highest safety rating — alongside salmon, shrimp, pollock, and other low-mercury seafood.

The current FDA/EPA guidance recommends that pregnant women eat 8–12 oz (2–3 servings) of low-mercury seafood per week. This is a target, not just a maximum — the FDA specifically encourages pregnant women to eat more seafood because many eat less than recommended and miss out on significant nutritional benefits for fetal development.

Crab's mercury level varies slightly by species:

  • Dungeness crab: ~0.031 ppm — very low
  • Snow crab: ~0.008 ppm — extremely low
  • King crab: ~0.018 ppm — very low
  • Blue crab: ~0.074 ppm — low

All common crab species are in the FDA's "Best Choice" category. For comparison, swordfish (which pregnant women should avoid) averages ~0.995 ppm — more than 10–30 times higher than any crab species.

Nutritional Benefits of Crab During Pregnancy

Per 3-oz (85g) serving of cooked Dungeness crab meat:

  • Calories: ~74
  • Protein: ~15–17g — essential for fetal tissue growth, placental development, and maternal tissue expansion
  • Fat: ~0.8g (very lean)
  • Omega-3 (EPA+DHA): ~300–400mg — critical for fetal brain and eye development
  • Vitamin B12: ~200% of daily value — essential for neural tube development, nerve function, and red blood cell formation
  • Zinc: ~40% of daily value — essential for fetal growth, cell division, and immune function
  • Selenium: ~50% of daily value — antioxidant; supports thyroid function
  • Iodine: ~35–45mcg (~23–30% DV) — essential for fetal thyroid development and brain development; iodine deficiency during pregnancy is a leading cause of preventable intellectual disability worldwide
  • Choline: ~70–80mg (~13–15% DV) — critical for fetal brain development; most pregnant women do not get enough choline

Why These Nutrients Matter During Pregnancy

Omega-3 DHA is a structural component of the fetal brain and retina — adequate DHA intake during pregnancy is associated with better cognitive and visual development outcomes in children. Iodine is required for fetal thyroid hormone production, which regulates brain development; severe iodine deficiency during pregnancy causes cretinism. Choline is required for neural tube closure and brain development; the adequate intake for pregnant women is 450mg/day, and most women fall short. Vitamin B12 is essential for neural tube development — deficiency is associated with neural tube defects. Crab provides meaningful amounts of all four of these critical pregnancy nutrients in a single serving.

How to Safely Eat Crab During Pregnancy

Always Cook Crab Thoroughly

The most important safety rule: always eat fully cooked crab during pregnancy. Raw or undercooked crab can harbor harmful bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio, Salmonella) and viruses that pose serious risks during pregnancy. Pregnant women are approximately 10 times more likely than the general population to contract listeriosis, which can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, and serious illness in the newborn.

Cook crab to an internal temperature of 145°F. Pre-cooked crab (such as most commercially sold king crab legs and Dungeness crab clusters) should be reheated to 165°F to ensure any bacteria introduced after the initial cooking are eliminated.

Avoid Raw Crab Preparations

Avoid during pregnancy: raw crab sushi or sashimi; crab ceviche (acid does not kill bacteria or viruses); any preparation where the crab may be undercooked. Imitation crab (surimi) is made from cooked fish and is safe during pregnancy, but it is not real crab.

Choose Quality Sources

Buy crab from reputable sources — wild-caught crab from well-managed fisheries is the best choice. Dungeness crab meat and Dungeness crab clusters from Global Seafoods are sourced from sustainable Pacific fisheries.

Shop Crab

🎥 Watch crab cooking tutorials on the Global Seafoods YouTube Channel

FAQs: Crab During Pregnancy

Q1: Is crab safe to eat during pregnancy?

Yes — crab is safe to eat during pregnancy when fully cooked. The FDA and EPA list crab as a "Best Choice" seafood for pregnant women — the highest safety rating. All common crab species (Dungeness, snow, king, blue) have very low mercury levels and are safe to eat 2–3 times per week during pregnancy. The key safety rule: always eat fully cooked crab; avoid raw or undercooked preparations.

Q2: How much crab can I eat during pregnancy?

The FDA recommends 8–12 oz (2–3 servings) of low-mercury seafood per week during pregnancy — and crab counts toward this recommendation. This is a target, not just a maximum. A 3-oz serving of crab is approximately the size of a deck of cards; 12 oz per week is 4 servings of that size. Crab's mercury levels are extremely low (Dungeness: ~0.031 ppm; snow crab: ~0.008 ppm), so there is no mercury-based reason to limit consumption below the 12 oz weekly recommendation.

Q3: What type of crab is best during pregnancy?

All common crab species are safe during pregnancy — Dungeness, snow, king, and blue crab all have very low mercury levels and are in the FDA's "Best Choice" category. Dungeness crab and snow crab are excellent choices for their flavor, availability, and nutritional profile. King crab is also excellent but higher in natural sodium (~911mg per 3-oz serving) — worth noting for women on sodium-restricted diets. Always choose wild-caught from a reputable source.

Q4: Can I eat imitation crab during pregnancy?

Yes — imitation crab (surimi) is safe during pregnancy. It is made from cooked Alaskan pollock (a low-mercury fish) that has been processed and flavored to resemble crab. It is fully cooked and does not carry the same raw seafood risks. However, imitation crab is not real crab — it has a different nutritional profile (lower protein, higher sodium, lower omega-3s) and does not provide the same nutritional benefits as real crab meat.

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