Re: Safety of raw fish

Ken hilderbrand (ken.hilderbrand@hmsc.orst.edu)
Thu, 04 Feb 1999 13:35:58

Peter, Sorry to restate the obvious, but for the record, the US FDA does
consider parasites to be a hazard in seafood for raw consumption and has
taken specific action to control it. That action of course is the HACCP
regulation and the Hazards guide which lists those vertebrate and
invertebrate species they believe to have potential risk for parasites. The
specific guidance, when stripped of all the jargon, simply says that
processors must freeze (as you suggest in your responce) the product before
shipping if that species is listed in the Hazard guide and the processor
knows it is intendend for raw consumption. As far as to what temperature,
and how long, it must be frozen to be free of live parasites, your review
of the subject and recommended critical limits last year is as good as we
have at this time (in my opinion anyway).

Ken Hilderbrand

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At 07:27 PM 2/4/99 -0000, howgate wrote:
>Dear Pat
>
>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
>>
>
>
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Kenneth S. Hilderbrand Jr.
Seafood Processing Specialist
Oregon State University
Marine Science Center
2030 Sth Marine Science Drive
Newport Oregon 97365-5296
telno 541 867-0242 (and voice mail)
faxno 541 867-0138
email <ken.hilderbrand@hmsc.orst.edu>

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