‘I have no idea how I’m alive rn’: Expert issues warning for anyone who buys fish in vacuum-sealed bags

Fish often comes in vacuum-sealed packaging, but you could end up six feet under if you don’t prepare it correctly. That’s according to Hydroxide (@hydroxide) a food scientist who posted a viral social media clip that’s accrued 1.5 million TikTok views.

In the video, she delineates how vacuum-sealed fish lends itself to growing a deadly spore. One that could prove fatal to consumers if they aren’t careful.

Deadliest catch

Hydroxide begins her post by speaking directly into the camera. “Here’s every single conversation I’ve ever had as a food scientist,” she says. Next, she pauses before clarifying the more specific subject matter of her post. “Vacuum sealed fish edition.”

She then launches into a skit that highlights the dangers of eating fish packaged in this manner.

First, she starts speaking as a vacuum-sealed fish consumer, enthusiastic with their purchase. “Hey, I’m really excited that I just purchased this frozen salmon that’s vacuum sealed,” the consumer says. “I just got a sous vide. So I can put the vacuum bags straight in the water. Without having to open them.”

Following this, she responds as a food scientist. One who offers up warnings against cooking fish in this manner. “Please do not do this ever. Never thaw or cook frozen fish directly in their vacuum-sealed packaging,” Hydroxide explains. “Because this could introduce an extremely dangerous toxin called botulinum toxin. Which causes botulism. Aka, a fatal illness that could paralyze you. Or unalive you in an extremely small dose.”

Vacuum sealing isn’t inherently bad

Vacuum-sealing foods, fish included, provides numerous benefits. Furthermore, there’s nothing inherently wrong with specifically storing fish in vacuum-sealed bags.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, vacuum sealing extends the life of foods. This is due to a significant mitigation of moisture from coming into contact with its contents. Moreover, oxygen is significantly reduced in the packaging, leading to increased shelf life and improved quality.

Numerous companies that offer vacuum sealing products, such as Henkelman, also extol its benefits. The company also touts the method leads to a “longer shelf life” of foods, including fish. “Removing air from the packaging significantly extends the shelf life of fish and shellfish while maintaining its quality. The chance of spoiling is reduced, which keeps food waste to a minimum.”

The business also states that vacuum-sealed proteins also enjoy a better “preservation of flavor and texture.” Many fish are naturally fatty. So sealing them in this manner keeps these juices intact for extended periods. And like many vacuum-sealed foods, fish are at a lower risk of succumbing to freezer burn.

How to properly handle vacuum-sealed fish

As Hydroxide highlights in her video, however, there are warnings pertaining to vacuum-sealed fish.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture urges customers to carefully follow directions on vacuum-sealed fish. According to this information sheet provided by the agency, botulism usually grows in these de-oxygenated bags in two ways.

Either the fish isn’t properly stored, or customers don’t remove it from its packaging before thawing. Additionally, some packaging will state that the fish must be kept frozen prior to thawing. Or, it must be kept refrigerated at 38 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. If you’re unsure whether or not your fridge is at this temperature, don’t risk it. It’s better to remove the frozen fish from its packaging. This way, it can thaw outside of the vacuum-sealed bag.

That’s because botulinum bacteria spores can grow at temperatures above 38 degrees Fahrenheit without oxygen. Thus, without appropriate storage techniques, these spores can thrive and multiply.

Unknowing consumers will drop the bagged fish in a sous vide—or a room-temperature pot of water to thaw—and potentially give themselves botulism. According to the CDC, this illness can cause “difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis, and even death.”

How can you properly thaw vacuum-sealed fish?

Hydroxide notes that consumers of vacuum-sealed fish must expose the frozen food to oxygen before thawing. “When fish products are vacuum sealed, they exist in an anaerobic environment. AKA an environment with no oxygen,” she says. “By opening the original package and exposing the fish to oxygen, constridium botulinum spores will not produce vegetative cells.”

These are the same cells that “produce the dangerous toxin.”

“To safely thaw frozen fish, always remove them from their original packaging. And thaw at 38 degrees Fahrenheit in your refrigerator,” she says. “Or if you want to cook them straight from frozen into the sous vide.”

But to use a sous vide, you’ll need to remove the vacuum-sealed fish from its original packaging and place it in a separate bag.

To cap off her video, she exhorts consumers to “follow the instructions” on the back of their food’s packaging. Most if not all frozen fish have warnings to customers about the risks of vacuum-sealed fish.

@hydroxide ALWAYS REMOVE FISH FROM VACUUM SEALED PACKAGING BEFORE THAWING OR COOKING! #foodscience #foodscientist #salmon #fish #foodsafety #fda #health #botulism #botox ♬ original sound – hydroxide – food scientist

Commenters were shook

One person who replied to Hydroxide’s video said that her PSA came in the nick of time. “Me, currently about to make salmon for dinner that I thawed in the original vacuum sealed package,” they said.

Someone else couldn’t believe that this bit of information isn’t common knowledge. “For god sakes why don’t we ever know this?” they asked.

One individual who said that they worked as a health inspector, said they came across a restaurant doing this. “I was a health inspector. Got cussed out by a fancy restaurant owner for taking off points on their score. And giving them a C for this very thing,” they claimed.

Another wrote that they’ve been incorrectly preparing vacuum-sealed fish their entire life. “I’m sorry what? I’ve been thawing fish like this my entire life. I’m 51. This is literally the first time hearing this,” they said.

The Daily Dot has reached out to Hydroxide via email for further comment.

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