Caviar guides

Can I eat caviar while pregnant or breastfeeding?

Short answer: if you are pregnant, ask your doctor or midwife before eating caviar, and expect to be told to avoid fresh, unpasteurized caviar. If you are breastfeeding, the advice is less strict, but ask your provider.

This is general information, not medical advice.

Why pregnancy guidance is cautious

During pregnancy, your body is less able to fight certain foodborne infections, such as listeria, and the risk to the baby can be serious. For this reason, health agencies generally advise people who are pregnant to avoid raw or undercooked fish and shellfish, and refrigerated, uncooked seafood products.

Fresh caviar is salted but not cooked, and when it is unpasteurized it is usually treated as a raw seafood product. Salt and cold storage reduce risk but do not remove it.

What about pasteurized or shelf-stable caviar?

Some caviar is heat-treated (pasteurized) so it can be stored for longer. Pasteurized, shelf-stable products are in a different safety category from fresh caviar, and some doctors are comfortable with them in moderation. The label should say whether it has been pasteurized. Ask your provider whether they recommend it for you.

Opus Kaluga Hybrid caviar

Opus caviar is fresh and unpasteurized, packed on ice and kept at 28 to 32°F. If you are pregnant, we recommend that you ask your doctor before eating it, and that you wait unless they say it is fine.

Breastfeeding

Guidance on breastfeeding is generally less strict than on pregnancy, since the main concern with raw seafood is a food-borne infection in the mother. Even so, check with your provider, especially if you have had a fish allergy, or if your baby has shown signs of a food allergy. Caviar is also high in salt.

Other things to know

  • Allergies. Caviar is fish roe, so it isn't safe for people with a fish allergy. See caviar and allergies.
  • Salt. Caviar is salty, so enjoy small amounts if your doctor has asked you to watch your sodium.
  • Handling. Keep it cold, and eat it within 48 hours of opening.

If you are celebrating while pregnant, serve the toppings you can enjoy, such as blini and crème fraîche, and let others have the caviar. See how to serve caviar.

Opus Caviar is opening soon with same-day courier delivery across the South Bay. Join the list to be first to order.