Alternative sanitizing methods

[Eric Adrignola]

Out in the cold will do nothing. Roundworm eggs are designed for that sort of stuff. Think not of bird or reptile eggs, but more like seeds. They dry out, sit in the dirt, wait it out, and hatch when they get the chance.

Extreme heat, moist heast if possible, or nasty chemical death.

Really, a heavy, strong cleaning should dislodge and remove most anything. The eggs cysts and spores stick to stuff - remove the stuff, and you remove almost all the evildoers.

Follow up with a strong disinfectant, and you shold be fine.

Cleaning is more iportant than using a disinfectant. Cleaning by itself is effective. Insinfecting without cleaning is nearly useless.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I would not say freezing will do nothing, rather I think you meant it doesnt kill certain things, like roundworm eggs.

Freezing can and DOES kill things, such as hookworms and tapeworms.

 

[Eric Adrignola]

Of course. I was overstating it. I do believe the eggs will be fine if frozen to only a certain temperature.

Fish used for sushi must be frozen (20 below, I belive... can't remember) in a deep freeze for 24+ hours before it's considered approved for sushi. Parasite destruction.

Tuna, smoked/cooked fish is exempted.

 

[sandrachameleon]

ick
I just had sushi (raw salmon and raw tuna included) for lunch.

I wonder if these fish exempt because they are unlikley to have worms? Unlike something like cod, which is often full of them.

sorry - off topic - blame my turning stomach

 

[Eric Adrignola]

Raw tuna is ok, as it does not contain parasites in its muscle tissue.
Salmon must be previously frozen (-7degrees for a week, or-30degrees for a day, I believe) to eliminate parasites. FRESH salmon is NOT to be used for sushi/sashimi in the US due to parasites. And fresh salmon is wormy - it is.

A woman was eating raw (some bottom dwelling fish, I think) fish at a local sushi place. She cut it - dont' know why, as you usually don't cut sushi - and found a live worm in it. The owner/manager lied to my coworker the same day while he was inspecting the place. He asked to see a list of all sushi they served. Smoked salmon and tuna. that was it. He went in the next day, took a temp reading of the fish, and it was NOT frozen. Made them toss it all!

Smoked salmon, cooked eel, fake crab, cooked shrimp - no problem. If Raw, it must be frozen specifically for sushi, unless it was Tuna.

That is why I would never eat sushi unless the place has a good reputation and good, competent, accountable management. The simple fact is that many foreign restaurant workers just don't "get it" when it comes to US health codes. If their management understands the importance, they will instill that on their workers.

good managers really make a MASSIVE different in the clenliness and quality of a foodservice location.

Sushi is great, but make sure you go to a place that is reputable. Another problem, is that most sushi places rip people off with higher end fish. Red snapper on the menu, tiliapia on the plate. There was an investigation a year or so ago, and the more reputable places were the least likely to do this.

 

[Syn]

Go Eric! I never knew this stuff - I think I'm done with sushi.

 

[dodolah]

I love salmon too...
I guess I'll b extra careful when eating Salmon sushi from now on.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I've never thought of salmon as wormy. I rarely notice worms when we catch them fresh. unlike cod and halibut, which are ...gross
But I'm also confident that where I go for sushi takes all necessary precautions

 

[Eric Adrignola]

Not all salmon. The worms I've seen are thread like, in the muscle tissue itself.

I do not believe they can hurt you at all, as they are interstitial, and not intestinal - I don't think they can survive in the gut.