If you’re considering making sushi at home, this food scientist is begging you to take this information into account to avoid getting sick.
Some people see sushi and think that it’s an easy enough meal to replicate at home with a few ingredients and some practice.
But this expert says there’s more to it than that, and if you’re not careful, you could wind up in a bad predicament.
Food scientist speaks out
In a viral video with more than 430,000 views, a food scientist who goes by Hydroxide (@hydroxide) shared how conversations tend to go with at-home sushi makers.
Hydroxide said people tend to let her know that they bought fresh salmon at the grocery store to make sushi with.
“It says it’s sushi grade,” people assure her.
However, what the public tends not to know is that sushi grade isn’t a regulated term.
“You cannot use any old salmon that you find at the grocery store because it may contain parasites like nematodes and tapeworms,” Hydroxide explains.
For raw fish like tuna and salmon to be safe to eat it must go through a very specific freezing process.
“Unfortunately, there is not an immediately clear label like ‘sushi grade’ to indicate if a fish has been treated for parasites,” Hydroxide said.
If you want to know more about your seafood, you can ask your local fish market what vendors they use and check your state’s local health department website.
What is sushi-grade fish?
The term usually means that the fish was bled after being caught, gutted soon after, iced, and then frozen to minimize the risk of parasites and bacteria like salmonella and listeria, Alaskan Gold Brand explained.
While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t regulate the term “sushi-grade,” it does have guidelines for properly handling fish for raw consumption. To get the “Parasite Destruction Guarantee,” most fish must be frozen to either of the following after being caught, as listed by the Webstaurant Store:
- Freezing at an ambient temperature of -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at an ambient temperature of -31°F (-35°C) or below for 15 hours.
- Freezing and storing at an ambient temperature of -4°F (-20°C) or below for 7 days (total time).
- Freezing at an ambient temperature of -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at an ambient temperature of -4°F (-20°C) or below for 24 hours.
The only exceptions are tuna, aquacultured salmon, and molluscan shellfish.
What is a parasite in seafood?
A parasite is an organism that lives on or in a plant or animal (the host). They get all of their nutrients by leeching them from the host. Since they need their host for survival, they rarely kill it, but they do often carry life-threatening diseases, the Cleveland Clinic reports.
“Classically, wild-caught fish could have issues with live parasites,” Matthew Stasiewicz, associate professor of applied food safety at the University of Illinois, told the Kitchn. “That [is] part of the risk associated with sushi.”
Eating raw or undercooked fish with parasites can lead to a host of side effects. This includes diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, fever, and chills. Depending on the type of parasite you contract, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics, antiparasitic drugs, shampoo, or ointment.
Natural remedies involve beets, carrots, fiber, raw garlic, honey, pumpkin seeds, vitamin C, and drinking a whole lotta water.
According to the Daily Mail, worm reports in sushi are rare in the U.S. Only about 10 annually are reported.
Commenters react
“I frequently make my own sushi, with what I think is the proper freezing and care methods but… if I do die from this just know I died doing what I love,” a commenter wrote.
“Genuinely didn’t know about the sushi grade not being an official FDA standard though thank you,” a person said.
“No problem I’ll just make sushi from salmon I thawed on the countertop overnight in the vacuum sealed bag. JK I WOULD NEVER,” another joked.
@hydroxide “Sushi grade” is not a real standard. #foodscience #foodscientist #sushi #foodsafety ♬ original sound – hydroxide – food scientist
The Daily Dot reached out to Hydroxide for comment via email and Instagram direct message.
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