I refer to your message of 4 February concerning the safety of eating
sushi.
I have no dispute with you, or with Richard Lord, concerning what you have
written, and I trust you will continue to eat, and enjoy, sushi. Obviously,
consumption of sushi and sashimi in the USA does not pose a significant
risk of food poisoning otherwise the regulatory authorities would have
taken specific action to control the risk. Mika had the word 'sushi' in the
heading of his message, but in the body he referred to the safety of raw
fish, and gave sushi and sashimi as examples. What I dispute is that Mika
can prove that eating raw fish is safe when there is ample evidence that
consumption of raw fish is currently associated with significant incidences
of illness in some countries, (the WHO report I cited in my previous
message estimated that world wide 40 million, yes million, people are
affected by foodborne trematode infections, and that freshwater fish is by
far the most frequent carrier), and has been associated with illnesses in
Europe and in the USA. It is likely that the risk of contracting illness
from eating sushi or sashimi in restaurants in the USA or the UK is low
because the fish will have been frozen. In Europe, EC Directive 91/493
requires that fish to be consumed raw must previously have been frozen to
-20C for 24 hours; I do not know if there is an equivalent requirement in
the USA. This is a sensible provision, and ensures that the hazard from
parasites in raw fish is controlled. That does not alter the fact that
consumption of raw fish, unless treated to eliminate the hazards, carries
risks of transmitting diseases. Note that Mika in his list of methods to
prove that eating raw fish is safe did not include any checks on measures
to reduce the risk. It would be interesting to know what stimulated Mika to
take on this project, or his supervisor to suggest it. Did someone suggest
that eating sushi or sashimi in Japanese restaurants in the USA posed a
risk? It certainly was not me.
Peter Howgate
----------
> From: psado@ora.fda.gov
> To: seafood@ucdavis.edu
> Subject: sushi
> Date: 04 February 1999 18:03
>
> Like Richard Lord, I won't contest Peter Howgate's well researched
replies
> concerning raw seafoods etc. used with sushi. I would also like to defend
> eating "sushi". I hope everyone is aware that "sushi" refers to the
cooked
> rice that is flavored with vinegar, sugar, salt, plus family secret
> ingredients. There are many books written about "sushi". Not all
"sushi"
> contains raw seafood ie fish, shrimp, shellfish, etc. There are some
"sushi"
> dishes that all ingredients are thoroughly cooked and resemble a "rice
> casserole". "Sushi" comes in all shapes ie rectangular, triangular,
> cylindrical, round (resembling a snowball). Other toppings or fillings
for
> "sushi" include eggs (raw or cooked) from chickens, quail, or fish,
pickled
> plums and other raw or cooked vegetables, cooked eel, seaweed, pickled
> ginger, wasabi, soy sauce, etc.
>
> I have been eating "sushi" since childhood. LIke Richard Lord, I have
never
> gotten sick on eating "Sushi". No one in my family has gotten sick
either.
> My aunts and uncles and parents always stressed that if you use raw
seafood
> on the vinegared, flavored rice then only very fresh seafoods should be
> used. They should also be thoroughly cleaned and refrigerated before
use.
> The relatives also said DO NOT USE RAW SALMON. (This information has
been
> passed down from one generation to another. None of my relatives have
ever
> taken a parasitology course.)
>
> I make "sushi" various kinds for my friends and family.
>
> LIke Richard, I'm aware of the hazards, but I won't stop making or eating
> "sushi". This is a part of my cultural heritage and I plan to teach the
> younger generation in my family how to make "sushi".
>
> Pat
>