Is canned tuna safe during pregnancy and for children?
Suitable tuna intake depends on species, portion size and age, not simply the number of cans. Canned light tuna generally has less mercury than albacore or white tuna. US guidance advises pregnant people and children to avoid bigeye tuna and vary lower-mercury fish choices.
Details
An example from FDA/EPA guidance
For pregnancy or breastfeeding, this advises two to three weekly servings from lower-mercury “Best Choices,” including canned light tuna, or one serving from “Good Choices,” such as albacore, with no other fish that week. An adult serving is about 113 g; a can is not always one serving.
Children need smaller portions
The guidance recommends two weekly servings from “Best Choices” for children, with portions adjusted to age and weight. Do not use an adult portion automatically. Check the species and package weight.
This is US guidance, not a claim of a specific Jordanian recommendation. Follow local alerts and individual maternity advice. Cooking or draining does not remove mercury from fish tissue; concern about mercury does not require avoiding all fish.
Related reading: Is fresh fruit juice as healthy as whole fruit?.