Is Ceviche safe (to eat)?

Factual Questions
1

Seviche (lime-juice marinated fish) has gotten very popular. I have tasted it, but i worry about all the viruses and bacteria that lurk in raw seafood. The lime juice marinande-is it acidic enough to kill the bacteria? Also, raw shellfish can be contaminated with the virus that causes hepatitis-is this virus killed by the lime juice?
So, what is the concensus-can you eat seviche and not worry about getting sick? :eek:

2

[QUOTE=ralph124c]
Seviche (lime-juice marinated fish) has gotten very popular. I have tasted it, but i worry about all the viruses and bacteria that lurk in raw seafood. The lime juice marinande-is it acidic enough to kill the bacteria? Also, raw shellfish can be contaminated with the virus that causes hepatitis-is this virus killed by the lime juice?
So, what is the concensus-can you eat seviche and not worry about getting sick? :eek:
[/QUOTE]

If it made many people sick it probably would not be very popular. :smiley:

In general look at the establishment you are ordering it from. IF it looks like a dive, be a lil more wary. Think of it like sushi bars, fish in itself is not really dangerous, its the freshness and proper handling that makes raw or cold cooked fished a danger.

3

You will find thjis on most menus as a way of the restauranteur doing a CYA. Personally, I have eaten pounds of sushi in places I trust and have never had a problem.

On the other hand, the restaurant chain ChiChis went out of business after patrons contracted hepatitis from eating green onions.

4

From the United Nations:

Moral: don’t eat poopy ceviche.
Daniel

5

There is a popular asian dish that uses lemon or lime juice to “cook” thinly sliced raw beef. You can actually see the beef turning color from red to brownish-gray as though it was being cooked in a microwave. When I eat it, the meat has a “mouth feel” as though it’s been cooked. Is the meat actually getting a chemical burn of sorts?

6

I eat ceviche here all the time, and so do all my friends. It is extremely popular, and is even sold at baseball games. I have never heard of anyone getting sick from it here.

While ceviche can *conceivably * cause problems in certain circumstances, if you get it from a decent place this shouldn’t be the case.

If you are in the US I wouldn’t worry about it.

7

[QUOTE=vetbridge]
You will find thjis on most menus as a way of the restauranteur doing a CYA.
[/QUOTE]

I think it’s not CYA. I believe local government health regulations require the warning.

nitpick: There’s no n in restaurateur.

8

[QUOTE=vetbridge]
The restaurant chain ChiChis went out of business after patrons contracted hepatitis from eating green onions.
[/QUOTE]

While it does suck that people got hepatitis, the lose of ChiChis is one that the world of gastronomy can weather.

9

[QUOTE=acsenray]
nitpick: There’s no n in restaurateur.
[/QUOTE]

True, but there is in restauranteur.

Daniel

10

[QUOTE=Left Hand of Dorkness]

Moral: don’t eat poopy ceviche.
Daniel
[/QUOTE]

Bandname!

11

[QUOTE=DiggitCamara]
Bandname!
[/QUOTE]

Dave Barry told me to tell you to cut that out.

12

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
ceviche!

13

[QUOTE=ralph124c]

So, what is the concensus-can you eat seviche and not worry about getting sick? :eek:
[/QUOTE]

Can you see or smell the ocean from the restaurant? If so, then eat the ceviche.

Tabby