Seafood salad: a salty deli staple with a food safety record

Nobody has studied seafood salad as a dish on any nutrition or health outcome, so this page works from its parts and from food safety records. The strongest trial is about shrimp and cholesterol. In a randomized crossover trial in adults with normal blood lipids, 11 oz (300 g) of shrimp a day, supplying 590 mg cholesterol, raised LDL cholesterol by 7.1% and HDL cholesterol by 12.1% against a diet with 107 mg. The abstract gives neither the number of people nor the length. That is far more shrimp than any salad holds, and it was eaten without dressing. The fear that shellfish cholesterol only pushes up the harmful kind is not what this trial found. What the salad reliably adds is salt. A 208 g cup carries about 1,217 mg sodium and 395 calories in US survey data, from one recipe-based entry, and seafood type and dressing vary widely. If you are pregnant or otherwise at higher risk of food poisoning, the FDA advises against seafood salad made on site in a deli without added preservatives, and the CDC lists premade deli salads under foods to avoid because of Listeria.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• A cup of seafood salad (208 g) carries about 1,217 mg sodium, 395 calories, 21 g protein and 193 mg cholesterol in US survey data. — US household measures, FNDDS (n = 1 food code) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: sodium 585 mg, energy 190 calories, protein 10.12 g, cholesterol 93 mg, saturated fat 2.501 g; per cup 208 g: 1216.8 mg, 395.2 calories, 21.0 g, 193.4 mg, 5.2 g
• A regular seafood salad sandwich (180 g) carries about 972 mg sodium, 389 calories and 18 g protein in US survey data. — US household measures, FNDDS (n = 1 food code) Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: sodium 540 mg, energy 216 calories, protein 9.89 g, cholesterol 62 mg; per sandwich 180 g: 972 mg, 388.8 calories, 17.8 g, 111.6 mg

What your body absorbs

• In 23 women with rheumatoid arthritis, 2.6 oz (75 g) of blue mussels in a meal 5 days a week for 11 weeks raised red cell EPA and DHA at group level. — 23 women with rheumatoid arthritis, 75 g mussels vs 75 g meat, 5 days/week, 2 x 11-week crossover (n = 23) Evidence B source
  Significant rise in erythrocyte EPA and DHA at group level, not in every individual; size not given in abstract
• In 12 young adults, cooked mussels at lunch three times a week for two weeks raised the omega-3 index from 4.27 to 5.07. — 12 healthy young adults, about 304 mg EPA + DHA a day from cooked mussels, 2 weeks (n = 12) Evidence C source
  Omega-3 index 4.27 to 5.07; cooked mussels 518.9 mg EPA + DHA per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What it does to your health

• Eating 20 g a day of soybean oil mayonnaise for 4 weeks lowered LDL cholesterol by 6.6 mg/dL (0.17 mmol/L) compared with palm olein mayonnaise. — adults, 20 g/day mayonnaise for 4 weeks each arm, 2-week washout, double-blind crossover Evidence B source
  TC -0.25 mmol/L, LDL-C -6.6 mg/dL (-0.17 mmol/L), HDL-C -4.6 mg/dL (-0.12 mmol/L) with soybean oil vs palm olein mayonnaise; LDL:HDL ratio unchanged

Safety, limits and interactions

• A US retail survey of 27,389 ready-to-eat foods found Listeria in seafood salads significantly less often than a decade earlier. — 27,389 refrigerated ready-to-eat food samples from 4 US FoodNet sites, 2010 to 2013 (n = 27389) Evidence C source
  Lower percentage positive for seafood salads vs a decade earlier (P < 0.001); overall 102 samples confirmed positive
• In a US survey of 31,705 ready-to-eat foods, seafood salads packed in store carried Listeria more often than factory-packed ones. — 31,705 retail ready-to-eat samples from Maryland and northern California, 14 to 23 months (n = 31705) Evidence C source
  Higher prevalence for in-store packaged seafood salads (P < 0.001); overall prevalence 1.82%
• A cold seafood salad served on a flight from Lima to Los Angeles caused a cholera outbreak in 75 passengers, with odds ratio 11.6. — 336 US passengers of one flight, 1992 (n = 336) Evidence C source
  OR 11.6 (95% CI 3.3 to 44.5) for eating the seafood salad; 10 hospitalized, 1 death
• At a catered dinner in Turin, seafood salad was the likely source of staphylococcal food poisoning in 26 of 47 guests, risk ratio 11.72. — 47 guests of one catered dinner, Italy 2011 (n = 47) Evidence C source
  RR 11.72 (95% CI 1.75 to 78.54); 9 hospitalized; food handler's nasal strain matched
• In one Canadian listeriosis case report, opened imitation crab meat held 2.1 billion Listeria per gram and supported the pathogen's growth. — 2 previously healthy adults, Ontario (n = 2) Evidence C source
  2.1 x 10^9 cfu/g Listeria in imitation crab meat; strain indistinguishable from patients

What people believe that the data does not support

• In a randomized crossover trial, 11 oz (300 g) of shrimp a day raised LDL cholesterol by 7.1% and HDL cholesterol by 12.1% against a lower-cholesterol baseline diet. — normolipidemic adults, low-fat diet with 300 g shrimp a day (590 mg cholesterol) vs baseline diet with 107 mg cholesterol Evidence B source
  LDL-C +7.1% (P = 0.014), HDL-C +12.1% (P = 0.0001) vs a baseline diet with 107 mg cholesterol a day

Who this works differently for

• FDA advises people at greater risk of foodborne illness, pregnant women first among them, to avoid seafood salad made on site in a deli without added preservatives, and refrigerated smoked seafood. — people at greater risk of foodborne illness, FDA list headed by pregnant women, their unborn babies and children Evidence E source
  Seafood salad made on site in a deli without preservatives and refrigerated smoked seafood listed among foods to avoid
• FDA warns that foodborne illness during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth, or the death of a newborn baby, because bacteria can cross the placenta. — pregnant women and their unborn babies Evidence E source
  Foodborne illness in pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth or newborn death; no effect size
• CDC tells pregnant women and other higher-risk groups to avoid premade deli salads and refrigerated smoked fish to lower the risk of Listeria, and to choose homemade deli salads instead. — women who are pregnant, newborns, people 65 or older, people with a weakened immune system Evidence E source
  Premade deli salads and refrigerated smoked fish under Avoid; homemade deli salads and shelf-stable or cooked smoked fish as safer choices
• CDC says about 1 in 25,000 pregnant women in the US get a Listeria infection each year, and 1 in 4 of them lose the pregnancy or the baby shortly after birth. — pregnant women in the United States Evidence E source
  About 1 in 25,000 pregnant women infected with Listeria each year; 1 in 4 of them lose the pregnancy or the baby shortly after birth
• An umbrella review of nine systematic reviews reports that the risk of listeriosis rises in pregnancy, with 66% of infections in the third trimester and 3% in the first. It can cause miscarriage, preterm birth, stillbirth and newborn infection. — pregnant women and newborns up to 4 weeks after birth (n = 9 systematic reviews, 330 studies) Evidence C source
  Listeriosis risk rises in pregnancy; 66% of infections in the third trimester against 3% in the first; can cause miscarriage, preterm birth, stillbirth and neonatal infection
• Across European studies of all age groups, 0.4% of people report a lifetime shellfish allergy. — 93 European studies, all age groups Evidence C source
  Self-reported lifetime shellfish allergy 0.4% (95% CI 0.3 to 0.6)
• FDA advises pregnant and breastfeeding people to eat 8 to 12 ounces of lower-mercury seafood a week. — people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, US Evidence E source
  8 to 12 oz per week, lower-mercury choices

The bottom line

A regular seafood salad sandwich (180 g) carries about 972 mg sodium, 389 calories and 18 g protein, and a large or submarine sandwich is 360 g, twice those amounts. The cup also holds about 193 mg cholesterol and 5.2 g saturated fat. The dressing matters a little for blood fats. In a double-blind crossover, 20 g a day of soybean oil mayonnaise for four weeks lowered LDL cholesterol by 6.6 mg/dL (0.17 mmol/L) against palm olein mayonnaise, the abstract does not give the sample size, and nobody knows which oil a given deli salad uses. Mussels raise omega-3 levels in the blood. In 23 women with rheumatoid arthritis, 2.6 oz (75 g) of blue mussels five days a week for 11 weeks raised red cell EPA and DHA at group level, with no size reported and not in every woman. In 12 healthy young adults eating cooked mussels, with no control group, the omega-3 index went from 4.27 to 5.07. The real caution is how the salad is kept. In 31,705 retail samples from Maryland and northern California, seafood salads packed in the store carried Listeria more often than factory-packed ones (P < 0.001), though 16 of the 21 most contaminated samples were factory-packed. A later US survey of 27,389 samples from 2010 to 2013 found Listeria in seafood salads significantly less often than a decade before, without giving the rate for that category. Single outbreaks show what happens when it goes wrong. On a 1992 flight from Lima, a region with cholera at the time, eating the cold seafood salad carried an odds ratio of 11.6 (95% CI 3.3 to 44.5) for cholera. At a catered dinner in Turin, it was the likely source of staphylococcal poisoning (risk ratio 11.72, 95% CI 1.75 to 78.54), with no salad left to test. In one Canadian case report of two patients, opened imitation crab meat held 2.1 billion Listeria per gram, and its long refrigerated shelf life was the key factor. Shellfish allergy is self-reported by 0.4% of Europeans (95% CI 0.3 to 0.6) across 93 studies. For pregnancy, the advice on ready-made salads is direct. The FDA tells people at greater risk of foodborne illness, pregnant women first among them, to avoid salads without added preservatives prepared on site in a deli, naming seafood salad, and to avoid refrigerated smoked seafood. The CDC puts premade deli salads and refrigerated smoked fish under Avoid for pregnant women, newborns, people 65 or older and people with a weakened immune system, and points to homemade deli salads instead. The reason is the outcome. The FDA says foodborne illness in pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth or the death of a newborn, because bacteria can cross the placenta. The CDC says about 1 in 25,000 pregnant women in the US get a Listeria infection each year, and 1 in 4 of them lose the pregnancy or the baby shortly after birth. An umbrella review of nine systematic reviews reports that listeriosis risk rises in pregnancy, with 66% of infections in the third trimester. The FDA also advises 8 to 12 ounces a week of lower-mercury seafood in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and lists shrimp, crab, clam, scallop, oyster and squid among its best choices. That advice is about mercury in seafood, and it does not cancel the deli salad warning. This page has no data on children or on medicines.

Sources

1. sfs-r8-01 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2706838 Seafood salad: Sodium 585 mg/100 g, 1 cup 208 g 1216.8 mg · Energy 190 kcal/100 g, 1 cup 395.2 kcal · Protein 10.12 g/100 g, 1 cup 21.0 g · Cholesterol 93 mg/100 g, 1 cup 193.4 mg · Fatty acids, total saturated 2.501 g/100 g, 1 cup 5.2 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023 · checked 2026-09-29
2. sfs-r8-02 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2707039 Seafood salad sandwich: Sodium 540 mg/100 g, 1 regular sandwich 180 g 972.0 mg · Energy 216 kcal/100 g, 1 regular sandwich 388.8 kcal · Protein 9.89 g/100 g, 1 regular sandwich 17.8 g · Cholesterol 62 mg/100 g, 1 regular sandwich 111.6 mg
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023 · checked 2026-09-29
3. sfs-r8-05 · randomized crossover trial
   Changes following blue mussel intake included significant increases in omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) at the group level but not for all individuals.
   Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
4. sfs-r8-06 · clinical trial, single arm
   Blood spot analysis revealed a significant increase in the omega-3 index (week 1 = 4.27 ± 0.81; week 4 = 5.07 ± 1.00)
   Nutrients, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
5. sfs-r8-04 · randomized crossover trial
   Treatments resulted in significant reductions in TC (diff = -0.25 mmol/L; P = 0.001), LDL-C (diff = -0.17 mmol/L; P = 0.016) and HDL-C (diff = -0.12 mmol/L; P < 0.001) in SB-mayo compared to PO-mayo without affecting LDL-C:HDL-C ratio (P > 0.05).
   Lipids Health Dis, 2016 · checked 2026-09-29
6. sfs-r8-07 · prevalence survey
   For delicatessen (deli) meats, smoked seafood, seafood salads, soft-ripened and semisoft cheeses, and deli-type salads without meat, the percentage of positive samples was significantly lower (P < 0.001) in this survey than that reported a decade ago based on comparable surveys in the United States.
   J Food Prot, 2017 · checked 2026-09-29
7. sfs-r8-08 · prevalence survey
   Significantly (P < 0.001) higher prevalences were found for in-store-packaged samples than for manufacturer-packaged samples of luncheon meats, deli salads, and seafood salads, while 16 of the 21 samples with higher counts were manufacturer packaged.
   J Food Prot, 2003 · checked 2026-09-29
8. sfs-r8-09 · case-control study
   Cold seafood salad, served between Lima, Peru and Los Angeles, California was the vehicle of infection (odds ratio, 11.6; 95% confidence interval, 3.3-44.5).
   Epidemiol Infect, 1996 · checked 2026-09-29
9. sfs-r8-10 · retrospective cohort
   The analysis indicated consumption of seafood salad as the most probable cause of the outbreak (risk ratio = 11.72; 95 % confidence interval, 1.75 to 78.54).
   J Food Prot, 2013 · checked 2026-09-29
10. sfs-r8-11 · case report
    The three most heavily contaminated samples were the imitation crab meat, the olives and the salad which contained 2.1 x 109, 1.1 x 107 and 1.3 x 106 cfu g-1, respectively.
    Lett Appl Microbiol, 2000 · checked 2026-09-29
11. sfs-r8-03 · randomized crossover trial
    In a randomized crossover trial, a diet containing 300 g shrimp/d, which supplied 590 mg dietary cholesterol/d, significantly increased low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by 7.1% (P = 0.014) and high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol by 12.1% (P = 0.0001) when compared with a baseline diet matched for fat content but containing only 107 mg cholesterol/d.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 1996 · checked 2026-09-29
12. hf2-sfs-1 · agency advice
    If you are at greater risk of foodborne illness, you are advised to avoid eating or tasting: ... Raw fish, partially cooked seafood (such as shrimp and crab), and refrigerated smoked seafood. ... Salads (without added preservatives) prepared on site in a deli-type establishment, such as ham salad, chicken salad, or seafood salad.
    FDA, People at Risk of Foodborne Illness, content current as of 2025-01-16 · checked 2026-10-08
13. hf2-sfs-2 · agency advice
    Harmful bacteria can also cross the placenta and infect an unborn baby whose immune system is underdeveloped and not able to fight infection. Foodborne illness during pregnancy is serious and can lead to miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth, sickness, or the death of a newborn baby.
    FDA, People at Risk of Foodborne Illness, content current as of 2025-01-16 · checked 2026-10-08
14. hf2-sfs-3 · agency advice
    Women who are pregnant ... If you are in any of these groups, choose safer foods to protect your health or your pregnancy. ... Premade deli salads, such as coleslaw and potato, tuna, or chicken salad ... Homemade deli salads ... Refrigerated smoked fish
    CDC, Listeria Prevention Steps and Strategies, Safer Food Choices table, last reviewed 2025-01-16 · checked 2026-10-08
15. hf2-sfs-4 · agency advice
    Every year in the United States, about 1 in 25,000 pregnant women are infected with Listeria. Sadly, 1 in 4 pregnant women who get this illness lose their pregnancy or their baby shortly after birth.
    CDC, People at Increased Risk for Listeria Infection: Pregnant Women and Newborns, last reviewed 2025-09-24 · checked 2026-10-08
16. hf2-sfs-5 · umbrella review
    Compared with the general population, the risk of being diagnosed with listeriosis increases during pregnancy. Listeriosis can lead to miscarriage, spontaneous preterm labour and preterm birth, stillbirth and congenital neonatal infections. ... Listeriosis infections were likely to occur in the third trimester (66%) rather than in the first trimester (3%) of pregnancy.
    BJOG, 2022 · checked 2026-10-08
17. sfs-r8-12 · meta-analysis of prevalence
    The overall pooled estimates for all age groups of self-reported lifetime prevalence were as follows: cow's milk (5.7%, 95% confidence interval 4.4-6.9), egg (2.4%, 1.8-3.0), wheat (1.6%, 0.9-2.3), soy (0.5%, 0.3-0.7), peanut (1.5%, 1.0-2.1), tree nuts (0.9%, 0.6-1.2), fish (1.4%, 0.8-2.0) and shellfish (0.4%, 0.3-0.6).
    Allergy, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
18. sfs-r8-13 · agency position
    Those who are pregnant or breastfeeding consume between 8 and 12 ounces per week of a variety of seafood from choices that are lower in mercury.
    FDA, Advice about Eating Fish, updated 2024 · checked 2026-09-29