Sushi and Parasite Destruction Requirements

By Diane L. Kelsch, MS, REHS

Sushi” refers to a special kind of cooked sticky rice with sweetened rice wine vinegar, but commonly, the term is used to describe a finger-sized piece of raw fish or shellfish on or with a bed of acidified (vinegar) rice.  Although sushi can be made from a wide variety of fish and non fish ingredients, fish products commonly used in sushi include salmon, snapper, tuna, mackerel, yellowtail, roe, sea urchin, eel, clam, conch, scallops, crab, and lobster. 

The larval stage of parasites consumed in raw or undercooked fish can present a health hazard in humans.  Most of these parasites cause mild to moderate illness such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, but more serious problems such as central nervous system and organ damage can occur.  For that reason, the Food Code requires freezing for parasite destruction in fish that are to be consumed raw or undercooked. 

What are the Food Code requirements for parasite destruction?
The Food Code requires fish that are to be consumed, raw, raw-marinated, partially cooked, or marinated partially-cooked be frozen, for parasite destruction. 

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Safe and Sustainable Florida Seafood

By Eric Schwaab

Blessed with the nation’s second longest coastline, Florida’s recreational and commercial fishing businesses are important economic drivers, not only for the state, but for the national economy. These activities benefit residents and visitors alike, supporting Florida’s $57 billion hospitality industry.

Not only is Florida home to the nation’s largest recreational saltwater angling community, commercially-caught seafood from Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic waters is also an iconic draw to the state’s many fine restaurants.

Together, Florida commercial and recreational fishing represent a significant part of the $72 billion generated and 1.9 million full and part time fishing industry jobs supported annually across the country.
At NOAA Fisheries, we work to rebuild and sustain the nation’s fisheries and the jobs that depend on them by promoting management approaches that will achieve both sustainable fisheries and vibrant coastal communities.

For the Gulf of Mexico, last year’s BP/Deepwater Horizon oil spill had a significant impact on both recreational and commercial fishing industries.

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The New Search for Oil

Looking for Oil in Seafood – But Not Finding Any!

By Jo Marie Cook

Since April, 2010 when the Deepwater Horizon explosion spilled thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, knowledgeable and experienced food safety chemists from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and several state laboratories including the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), have been working closely together to detect any oil contamination in Gulf harvested seafood.  Although Florida’s long coastline was largely spared, oil did come ashore in the western panhandle.  An area from Pensacola to Cape San Blas was closed to fishing for several weeks from early June to September 2, 2010. 

Figure 1. NOAA map showing extensive sampling of seafood throughout the areas of the Gulf of Mexico affected by the oil spill.Figure 1 shows a map provided by NOAA summarizing the sampling and analyses they have conducted to assure that seafood continues to be safe. 1 The outline of this map shows the areas of the Gulf that were closed for some time following the spill.  Since the beginning of this crisis, the FDA and many state labs, including FDACS have also been sampling and analyzing seafood from state waters.

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Florida "Gulf Safe" Seafood

By Sarah CriserAdam Putnam

Adam Putnam, Florida’s eleventh Commissioner of Agriculture, is dedicated to putting Florida’s agriculture industry at the forefront of every opportunity.

In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon Disaster of April 2010, Commissioner Putnam and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) have also been focused on supporting the Florida seafood and aquaculture industries to overcome the public misperception that Gulf seafood is not safe.
Since August 2010, the Department’s Division of Food Safety has collected more than 300 seafood samples, including finfish and shellfish, to test for possible oil contaminants.

Less than 13 percent of the samples tested were found to have traces of possible oil contaminants. All findings were less than 1/1000th of the FDA’s levels of concern. Laboratory testing shows that Florida seafood products are plentiful, safe and have not been affected by the oil spill.

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Accept No Seafood Substitutes!

Do your managers know how important it is to purchase seafood from an approved source?  

Seafood substitution is a crime!  Make sure they are familiar with all aspects of serving safe seafood!

Contact FRLA’s Education and Training Department for more information about our ServeSafe Manager Training and Testing Program.

Contact 866-372-7233 or visit www.FRLA.org for details.