Fish roe
Fresh roe, fully cooked and mashed, can join fish meals. Caviar, ikura and tobiko wait until at least age 5.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat fish roe from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve fish roe by age
6 months+
Mashed cooked roe or fish cakes
Use fresh roe, such as cod or shad roe, never salted or smoked. Poach or bake it until it's firm and opaque all the way through (145°F / 63°C), peel off the outer skin, then crumble and mash it into mashed potato or rice, or shape it into finger-sized fish cakes.
- Size
- Mashed into soft food on a pre-loaded spoon, or fish cakes shaped like a finger, about 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
- Check before serving
- Break open the thickest part: it should be opaque and grainy all the way through, with no glassy center. Fish cakes should flatten when you squash them gently.
US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.
9 months+
Crumbled cooked roe in soft food
Stir crumbled, fully cooked roe into rice, pasta or mashed vegetables. Caviar, salmon roe (ikura), tobiko and smoked cod roe still wait.
- Size
- Crumbled pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Check that no pieces of the chewy outer skin are left in the mix.
12 months+
Cooked roe in family meals
Mix fully cooked roe into fish cakes, pasta or rice dishes. Take your toddler's portion out before adding salt. Ready-to-eat roe from a jar or sushi counter still waits.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or fish cakes.
- Check before serving
- Check that the roe is cooked through and broken into small pieces.
18 months+
Cooked roe in family meals
Keep to fully cooked fresh roe in family dishes. Salted roe such as caviar (pasteurized or not), ikura and tobiko, smoked roe such as smoked cod roe, and roe dips such as taramasalata wait until at least age 5.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- No caviar, ikura, tobiko or smoked roe on your toddler's plate.
Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.
How to prepare fish roe
- 1
Buy fresh roe from a cold fish counter and get it into the fridge quickly. Keep raw roe and its juices away from other food, and wash your hands after handling it.
- 2
Poach it gently in unsalted water, or bake it wrapped in foil, until it's firm and opaque all the way through and reaches 145°F (63°C). Don't add salt.
- 3
Let it cool, peel off the thin outer skin, then crumble the roe and mash it into a soft food, or mix it with mashed potato and shape it into cakes.
- 4
First time with fish? Pick a day your baby is well and at home, so you can stay nearby for several hours afterward. Fish can cause a delayed reaction: see when to call the doctor.
How much to offer
For the first taste, offer a small amount: a teaspoon or two of mashed cooked roe. Our suggestion is to keep cooked roe as an occasional part of your child's fish meals, alongside fish fillets. Your baby decides how much to eat.
Common mistakes
Offering caviar, ikura or tobiko
Salted roe such as caviar, ikura and tobiko is usually not cooked. The CDC lists raw or undercooked fish as a riskier choice for children under 5, and the FDA lists children among the groups who should avoid raw or undercooked fish. Pasteurized caviar is still very salty. Keep all of these out at least until age 5, then ask your pediatrician.
Not counting the salt
FoodData Central lists about 1,500 mg of sodium per 100 g of caviar (about 3.8 g of salt), against about 117 mg (about 0.3 g of salt) for cooked fresh roe. The NHS says babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day and children aged 1 to 3 no more than 2 g.
Serving smoked cod roe or taramasalata
Smoked roe isn't the same as cooked roe. The FDA says children should avoid refrigerated smoked seafood unless it's cooked in a dish. Our suggestion is to keep smoked cod roe, and roe dips such as taramasalata, out until at least age 5, even in a hot dish, as with salted roe. Use fresh roe, fully cooked.
Undercooking fresh roe
Cook roe to 145°F (63°C), until it's firm and opaque all the way through. A glassy, soft center means it needs longer.
Where US and UK guidance differ on fish roe
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
The CDC lists raw or undercooked fish as a riskier choice for children under 5, and the FDA says children should avoid raw or undercooked fish, and refrigerated smoked seafood unless it's cooked in a dish. Neither names roe, but salted roe such as caviar, ikura and tobiko is usually not cooked, so we treat it the same way: keep to fully cooked fresh roe.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS baby pages don't give separate advice on raw or cured fish or roe, so we follow the US advice for every child: cooked roe only. The NHS says babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day and children aged 1 to 3 no more than 2 g.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can fish roe be a choking hazard for babies?
Fully cooked roe, crumbled and mashed, is easy to manage, but the thin outer skin is chewy, so peel it off. Ready-to-eat roe like tobiko comes as small, firm beads, and the CDC advises avoiding small, sticky or hard foods for young children. Never offer raw, salted or smoked roe to young children. Stay with your child during meals.
Can babies be allergic to fish roe?
Fish is a common allergen, and roe comes from fish. Introduce fish on its own first, in a small amount, and watch for signs of a reaction. Roe can cause a reaction even when tests for fish allergy are negative: a 2022 case report described a 2-year-old with anaphylaxis to salmon and lumpfish roe whose tests for salmon and other fish were negative, and the authors note roe reactions are reported more often in Japan. So offer roe the same careful way, even if fish has gone well. A fish allergy is different from a shellfish allergy: the ACAAI says one doesn't mean the other. If your baby has breathing trouble, swelling of the lips, face or tongue, or becomes floppy, call your emergency number.
Is fish roe healthy for babies?
Rich in omega-3 fats and vitamin B12: FoodData Central lists about 1.8 g of DHA, 1.3 g of EPA and 11.5 µg of vitamin B12 per 100 g of cooked roe, along with about 29 g of protein. It is not a major source of iron (about 0.8 mg per 100 g). Caviar has about 1,500 mg of sodium (about 3.8 g of salt) per 100 g.
Can babies eat caviar?
No. Caviar is salted roe that is usually not cooked, and it's very salty. The CDC lists raw or undercooked fish as a riskier choice for children under 5, and the FDA lists children among the groups who should avoid it. Pasteurized caviar waits too: it's still very salty, with about 1,500 mg of sodium (about 3.8 g of salt) per 100 g, and the NHS says babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day and children aged 1 to 3 no more than 2 g. Wait at least until age 5, then ask your pediatrician.
Can toddlers eat salmon roe (ikura) or tobiko?
Not yet. Like caviar, they're salted roe that is usually not cooked, and they're salty. Keep them for later, at least until age 5, and keep to cooked fish and cooked fresh roe until then.
Is cooked fish roe safe for babies?
Fresh roe cooked to 145°F (63°C), until firm and opaque, is cooked fish, and the CDC lists fish cooked to 145°F as the safer choice for children under 5. No official source names roe on its own, so we follow the cooked-fish advice. Introduce fish first, and offer roe the same careful way.
If your baby refuses fish roe
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Roe has a strong taste and a grainy texture. Mix a little into foods your baby already likes, such as mashed potato or rice.
- Try fish cakes: they're easier to hold than loose crumbs.
- Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.
Buying and storing fish roe
- Keep fresh roe in the fridge and cook it within 2 days, or freeze it.
- Cooked roe keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
- Fish cakes can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Reheat them only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving.
- Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).
When to talk to your doctor
Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:
- Your baby vomits a few hours after eating fish or roe. This can be FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy that fish can trigger. If they vomited once or twice and seem alert and like themselves, call your pediatrician or GP. If they vomit again and again, or are pale, floppy, very sleepy or hard to wake, call your emergency number.
- Your baby has had any reaction to roe or fish, even a mild one. Stop offering it, and talk to your pediatrician before offering other fish or roe.
- You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
- You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.
Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- CDC: Safer food choices for children under 5
- FDA: Selecting and serving fresh and frozen seafood safely
- CDC: Choking hazards
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- NHS: Salt in your diet
- ACAAI: Fish allergy
- De Paulis et al., Pediatric Reports (2022): Fish roe-induced anaphylaxis in Italy, a pediatric case report
- ACAAI: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES)
- USDA FoodData Central: Fish, roe, mixed species, cooked, dry heat
- USDA FoodData Central: Fish, caviar, black and red, granular
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
- NHS: Help your baby enjoy new foods
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