Research conducted by New Zealand Food Safety into the mercury levels of fish species has allowed the advice to pregnant woman to be updated and the findings have opened up a whole new array of fish that is quite safe for pregnant women to consume.

Previously, the recommendation for gemfish, oreo dories, orange roughy, ling and smooth oreo fish species was to restrict consumption during pregnancy to minimise mercury intake but there are now no restrictions on the number of servings for these species.

This is great news for pregnant women as seafood is a healthy choice being a good source of protein and should form a regular part of any healthy diet.

However, pregnant women should always ensure that any seafood they consume is cooked thoroughly and eaten while hot.