Besides mercury, what risks are introduced by consuming raw or undercooked fish during pregnancy?
Answer
Bacterial or parasitic contamination
While mercury presents a chemical toxicity risk, preparing fish incorrectly introduces a separate, equally important food safety hazard during pregnancy. Consuming fish that has not been cooked thoroughly, such as in preparations like sushi or ceviche, exposes the pregnant person to potential bacterial or parasitic contamination. To mitigate this risk, all fish and shellfish must be cooked completely; for shellfish, this means discarding any that fail to open during the cooking process, ensuring that these microbiological hazards are neutralized before consumption.
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