# Is sushi really safe? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 9, 2005, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629 "2005-03-09T03:45:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Soapbox\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/1 "2005-03-09T03:45:00Z")
I had sushi for the first time ever last night, at a really nice sushi place that’s only a few blocks away. It tasted really good, but by the end of my second roll, my mind was running faster than my stomach and I started dwelling far too much on the fact that this stuff that was practically melting in my mouth was RAW. I had trouble not gagging up the last few pieces. Usually raw meat is a big no-no right off the bat, like beef for example. And people have on rare occasions died from raw oysters and other shellfish. So…why not fish? Doesn’t it violate any FDA codes or regulations? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/2 "2005-03-09T03:50:23Z")
Since there are so many sushi places, and they even have fresh sushi in the supermarkets in my area, it must be OK with the FDA. I can tell you I have eaten tons of the stuff over the years, no problem. The only time I ever got food poisoning was from some bad fried chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Soapbox\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/3 "2005-03-09T04:05:13Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Since there are so many sushi places, and they even have fresh sushi in the supermarkets in my area, it must be OK with the FDA. > > I can tell you I have eaten tons of the stuff over the years, no problem. The only time I ever got food poisoning was from some bad fried chicken. But I’m having trouble understanding how it’s so safe. Are fish simply the cleanest animals on the earth, almost entirely devoid of bacteria? Or at least bacteria that are harmful in any way to us? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/4 "2005-03-09T04:14:36Z")
> [@Soapbox Monkey](#): > > But I’m having trouble understanding how it’s so safe. Are fish simply the cleanest animals on the earth, almost entirely devoid of bacteria? Or at least bacteria that are harmful in any way to us? Which just goes to show you how over-hyped food borne bacteria is. The Japanese and many other cultures have been eating raw fish for hundreds, if not thousands of years. If it was a significant form of pathogens, they would have died out or modified their food customs to survive. They didn’t, they haven’t and they are still here. Ergo, whatever bacteria may be on raw fish are not as bad for you as you were led to believe. ---
**Author:** ![Moe\_Mentum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@Moe\_Mentum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe_Mentum)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/5 "2005-03-09T04:19:24Z")
I worked with a fellow who got a parasite of some sort (tape worm, I believe) from eating sushi, so it’s not 100% safe. I think he got it after eating raw tuna. I believe the parasites are usually killed by freezing the fish at a fairly low temperature. Also, not all sushi contains raw seafood and some of it doesn’t contain seafood at all. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/6 "2005-03-09T04:22:05Z")
> [@Soapbox Monkey](#): > > But I’m having trouble understanding how it’s so safe. Are fish simply the cleanest animals on the earth, almost entirely devoid of bacteria? Or at least bacteria that are harmful in any way to us? Fish definitely can have issues as with other meat. However, as with anything proper handling and care by the people preparing it go a long way to ensuring your safety. Doubtless people have gotten food poisoning from raw fish but I do not think it is any worse than with any other meat. Certainly anecdotal evidence suggests it is not a big issue. Japanese practically live on the stuff and in Chicago there are dozens of sushi places not to mention sushi sold in markets. I have yet to hear of any notable health scare from them. FWIW…if it helps…fresh fish should not smell “fishy”. Not that that is a perfect guarantor of safety but a simple and quick rule of thumb when assessing raw fish. Just stay away from the Blowfish. Prepared improperly it can be a death sentence to eat it (poison gland in the fish…if it is cut in preparation and gets into the food you are in deep trouble). I have never seen Blowfish on a sushi menu in the US…may be an insurance thing but I understand it is a delicacy in Japan. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/7 "2005-03-09T04:25:11Z")
> [@Soapbox Monkey](#): > > Usually raw meat is a big no-no right off the bat, like beef for example. And people have on rare occasions died from raw oysters and other shellfish. So…why not fish? Doesn’t it violate any FDA codes or regulations? Raw beef is not always a big no-no. Carpaccio is an Italian specialty that is mainly very thin slices of raw beef. [Steak Tartare](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mtartar.html) is minced raw steak with egg and seasoning. I have had both of those along with hundreds of servings of various raw seafood and I am fine. I think you are greatly overestimating the risks involved here. Ground beef is bad because contaminated meat infects all of the processing machinery and exposes all the meat passing through it. Whole steaks can be selected from a known source, stored safely, and then visually inspected during preparation. That is pretty safe. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/8 "2005-03-09T04:44:39Z")
The sashimi fish, properly prepared, is extremely fresh. You can tell, it would be really obvious if it wasn’t. With cooked beef or chicken or what have you, freshness isn’t as obvious, for one thing. But I wouldn’t eat any sushi I thought was even a little bit suspect; I’ve never gotten a piece from a sushi restaurant I didn’t trust. I _have_ seen grocery store sushi that isn’t as fresh as I’ve become accustomed to, but I wouldn’t get sashimi at a grocery store anyway; the California rolls and veggie rolls look fine, but otherwise I’ll pass and wait for the really good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![pilzner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pilzner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pilzner)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/9 "2005-03-09T04:57:29Z")
Sushi is really quite safe, particularly at restaurants. Sushi meat is NOT any raw fish bought from the supermarket and cut up (Yuck!) . It has to be special “sushi/sashimi grade.” What that is I’m not 100% sure, but generally its flash frozen and thawed out to preserve freshness and kill any major parasites/worms/bacteria. My friends and myself have porked out at sushi bars more then I can remember, and I can’t recall ever getting sick. However, I dont think I would ever risk making the stuff at home, at least the raw fish variant. And I certainly wouldnt ever try to take the leftovers home in a doggy bag and finish it off as a midnight snack. I’ve heard pregnant women and folks with weakened immunities should not have sushi, however. Not sure of the truth of it. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/10 "2005-03-09T13:54:59Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Just stay away from the Blowfish. Prepared improperly it can be a death sentence to eat it (poison gland in the fish…if it is cut in preparation and gets into the food you are in deep trouble). I have never seen Blowfish on a sushi menu in the US…may be an insurance thing but I understand it is a delicacy in Japan. No cites, but it’s my understanding its an FDA/Health Canada “thing”, not just an insurance thing, i.e. it is **illegal** to serve the stuff. ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/11 "2005-03-09T14:02:54Z")
Not quite. I know you could get it in America, at least few decades ago, as my old Biochem teacher had it there. In case you’re wondering, the toxin is tetrodotoxin, and if I remember correctly, it blocks the sodium channels in your neurons thus causing paralysis and eventually death. Even when prepared correctly I believe you will still experience a slight numbing sensation in the mouth. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/12 "2005-03-09T14:22:33Z")
As others have said, raw meats are more common that you may think. Beef has been pointed out, and there’s also various dishes (including a Lebanese one whose name escapes me) which use raw minced lamb. The bacteria that may or may not be present on these meats come from the process of slaughter and preparation - if these are done carefully and properly, there’s no danger. Chicken, on the other hand, is an example where there’s plenty of nasty stuff that can exist within the flesh of the live creature, and therefore needs proper cooking. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/13 "2005-03-09T15:03:29Z")
For shame all of you. Cecil has dealt with this before: [Can you get worms from eating sushi?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_060.html). It has also been dealt with as a mailbag question: [Is homemade sushi dangerous?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/msushi.html) ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/14 "2005-03-09T15:05:11Z")
“Kubbeh Nayeh” is a raw lamb dish which I’ve had before (yum!) but don’t know if it’s the one you’re thinking of **GorillaMan** ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/15 "2005-03-09T15:17:10Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Chicken, on the other hand, is an example where there’s plenty of nasty stuff that can exist within the flesh of the live creature, and therefore needs proper cooking. I read in the NY Times food section once about an Asian dish involving raw chicken in peanut sauce. It sounded nasty. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/16 "2005-03-09T15:24:00Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > I read in the NY Times food section once about an Asian dish involving raw chicken in peanut sauce. It sounded nasty. I once had something similar, except it was raw duck, not chicken. I loved it. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/17 "2005-03-09T15:51:27Z")
Can they irradiate poultry and fish? Our grocery store carries irradiated ground beef (so you can enjoy a rare hamburger without worrying about E. coli & friends) which looks indistinguishable from ordinary raw ground beef. Would irradiation kill parasites as well? ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/18 "2005-03-09T16:03:22Z")
Never mind, I should have googled first: From the [CDC](http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodirradiation.htm#whichfoods): > [@](#): > > At higher doses, irradiation could be used on a variety of different foods to eliminate parasites and bacteria that cause foodborne disease. Many foods can be irradiated effectively, including meat, poultry, grains, and many seafoods, fruits and vegetables. . . . However, not all foods are suitable for irradiation. For example, oysters and other raw shellfish can be irradiated, but the shelf life and quality decreases markedly because the live oyster inside the shell is also damaged or killed by the irradiation. Apparently, irradiated chicken can become slightly [tougher and redder.](http://www.vancepublishing.com/FSI/articles/0411/0411insights.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/19 "2005-03-09T16:11:28Z")
In Germany you can also get seasoned ground raw pork. The pork is obviously checked for trichine infection first. You can even make [cute little animal sculptures](http://goldisheimservice-giessen.de/Kundeninfo/Partyservice/Artikel_zum_Ausleihen/Speisen/speisen.html) out of it. (scroll down until you get to “Mett Igel”) I miss Schweinemett like crazy here in the Netherlands, even though we do have [Filet Americain](http://www.pakena.be/koken/1100_filet_americain.htm) (which is seasoned ground raw beef). ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2005, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629/20 "2005-03-09T16:23:34Z")
Sushi is extremely dangerous. Even the slightest bite can induce death within minutes. It’s best that you steer clear of anything even remotely linked with sushi. 😉 Now that I’ve scared you off, there’s more sushi for me to eat. Yay! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-sushi-really-safe/293629.md?page=2)