You will rarely meet someone who just “kind of” likes sushi. If you are a sushi fan, Really love it. Maybe you’re a rainbow roll kind of person, which means you can try almost any type of fish the restaurant has in stock that day, or you’d rather stick with a tried-and-true favorite like tuna nigiri.
However, as a sushi lover myself, I always have one small concern before diving into a plate of salmon and avocado rolls: I’m eating raw fish, which means my favorite takeaway could result in a serious case of food poisoning.
With that in mind, I decided to talk to some experts to find out which types of raw fish actually put me at the greatest risk of food poisoning and which ones I can eat relatively safely. Here’s what they had to say.
This type of sushi poses the greatest risk of food poisoning.
Accordingly Sam Martina senior director and food safety expert at Microbac Laboratories, the amount of harmful bacteria on raw fish depends primarily on how the fish is raised and stored, not on the type of fish you consume.
“The most common bacteria associated with raw fish are Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio and Salmonella,” he said. “The presence of these bacteria is less dependent on the species and more a function of the water the fish lived in and the way it was processed and stored after being caught. Storing the fish below 40°F will retard the growth of any bacteria of concern.”
You can, of course, ask your waiter how the fish on the menu was raised, stored and processed, but they may not know the answer. In the absence of this information, Martin recommends avoiding raw salmon.
Salmon is more susceptible to parasites than other fish because of an increasing number of salmon infected with tapeworms in recent years. The risk of infection is highest when eating raw or undercooked salmon, such as that found in sushi. Raw salmon can also carry more common harmful bacteria such as salmonella, Vibrio vulnificus and E. coli.
Eels are also more susceptible to parasites than other types of fish. However, since raw freshwater eels are poisonous to humans, eel (unagi) is served cooked in sushi restaurants. This greatly reduces the risk of food poisoning because bacteria are killed by heat.
Tuna also poses a risk when served raw, but it is less likely to contain parasites than salmon.
This is the safest type of sushi you can eat.
If the term “sushi-grade fish” has ever made you feel safe, Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, a board-certified gastroenterologist, has bad news for you. The term “sushi-grade” is neither regulated nor defined by the Food and Drug Administration, so it could mean safer, higher-quality fish, or it could mean nothing at all.
Whether you’re immunocompromised or just want to avoid foodborne illness at all costs, your best bet is to opt for cooked sushi. “Similar to boiling our eggs or throwing away the green potatoes, there are common sense ways we can protect ourselves while enjoying delicious sushi,” Bulsiewicz said.
“The most obvious is cooking the seafood,” he explained. “This is often found in shrimp tempura rolls, spider rolls with fried soft-shell crab, or unagi rolls with grilled eel. With the classic California roll, there is not much risk because the crab is artificially produced, so it is not crab. Sorry if I have spoiled the California rolls for you.”
Martin agreed. “Cooking is the only surefire way to reduce the chances of food poisoning caused by bacteria, parasites and viruses,” he said. “Sushi with shrimp or ‘crab’ (often surimi, an imitation crab made from pollock) is usually cooked. You can also opt for vegetarian options with avocado, cucumber, tofu or other ingredients.”
Here you can find out how best to handle and store raw fish.
Although we know that eating raw fish increases the risk of foodborne illness, it’s not very common for people to end up in the emergency room for sushi-related food poisoning (although it does happen).
This is because most sushi restaurants take strict measures to ensure the safety of people consuming their raw dishes as much as possible. Ultimately, this is more important than the type of raw fish you consume.
“To kill all parasites, the fish should be flash frozen to -20°C and stored for seven days,” said Martin. “Once thawed, the flesh should be shiny and translucent, with no slime or discoloration. The fish should smell fresh – if it smells sour or overly ‘fishy’, you should not eat it.”
While you may not know if the sushi you’re eating has been flash frozen, a quick smell test can probably give you all the important information about the safety of your sushi. However, immunocompromised or pregnant people should avoid eating raw fish in their sushi, as they are more susceptible to parasites.
With all this in mind, get started!
