QUESTION = How and why is sushi safe to eat? GENERATION = As has been stated, it's not really safe to eat raw fish. However, raw fish is generally pretty low in parasites. You would be most likely to be fine eating very high quality fish if it was available fresh on the market. The extra protection from parasites in cooked fish is important for several reasons. A big one is that it is less likely to contain parasites that can cause illness in the short-term, but also also makes it more likely that you will catch parasites later on. The second is that fish is really a delicacy, and that sushi has a particular flavor to it. It isn't simply a raw ingredient in rice, it's also a natural flavoring that adds a ton of texture. It also provides a way to enhance the flavor of the fish and thus increase its value. Lastly, raw fish is more processed than most other meats, making it easier to prepare for long-term consumption. This makes it safer for humans to consume in large quantities, because as many things that go wrong in the human body are controlled by a complicated set of control circuits (cells) which allow them to function in a particular way. RETRIEVAL #0 = Sushi---developing fetus. Parasitic infections can have a wide range of health impacts, including bowel obstruction, anemia, liver disease, and more. The impact of these illnesses alone can pose some health concerns on the expecting mother and baby, but the curative measures that may need to take place to recover, are also a concern as well. Sashimi or other types of sushi containing raw fish present a risk of infection by three main types of parasites: BULLET::::- "Clonorchis sinensis", a fluke which can cause clonorchiasis BULLET::::- "Anisakis", a roundworm which can cause anisakiasis BULLET::::- "Diphyllobothrium", a tapeworm which can cause diphyllobothriasis For the above reasons, EU regulations forbid the use of fresh raw fish. It must be frozen at temperatures below in all parts of the product for no less than 24 hours. As such, a number of fishing boats, suppliers and end users "super-freeze" fish for sushi to temperatures as low as −60 °C. As well as parasite destruction, super-freezing also prevents oxidation of the blood in tuna flesh, thus preventing the discoloration that happens at temperatures above −20 °C. Some forms of sushi, notably those containing pufferfish fugu and RETRIEVAL #1 = Sashimi---in the family Anisakidae, primarily "Anisakis simplex" but also "Pseudoterranova decipiens". In addition, incorrectly prepared Fugu fish may contain tetrodotoxin, a potent neurotoxin. Another type of food borne illness that could occur after consuming tainted sashimi is Diphyllobothriasis. This disease is an infection within the intestines that occurs when the tapeworm "Diphyllobothrium latum" is consumed. Common fish such as trout, salmon, pike, and sea bass harbor this parasitic larvae in their muscles. Due to the new innovation of the chilled transport system paired with the salmon and trout consumption, an increasing number of cases have been recorded annually in northern Japan due to the spread of this disease. Traditionally, fish that spend at least part of their lives in brackish or fresh water were considered unsuitable for sashimi because of the possibility of parasites. For example, salmon, an anadromous fish, is not traditionally eaten straight out of the river. A study in Seattle, Washington, showed that all wild salmon had roundworm larvae capable of infecting people, while farm-raised salmon did not have any roundworm larvae. However a study commissioned by the Pew Foundation found that total organic contaminants were consistently and significantly more concentrated in the farmed salmon as a group than in wild salmon. Freezing is often used to kill parasites. According RETRIEVAL #2 = Sushi Sushi---: Une passante BULLET::::- Olivier Broche BULLET::::- Jacky Nercessian RETRIEVAL #3 = List of raw fish dishes---did not have any roundworm larvae. Parasite infection by raw fish is rare in the developed world (fewer than 40 cases per year in the U.S.), and involves mainly three kinds of parasites: Clonorchis sinensis (a trematode/fluke), Anisakis (a nematode/roundworm) and Diphyllobothrium (a cestode/tapeworm). Infection risk of anisakis is particularly higher in fishes which may live in a river such as salmon ("sake") in Salmonidae or mackerel ("saba"). Such parasite infections can generally be avoided by boiling, burning, preserving in salt or vinegar, or freezing overnight. In Japan it is common to eat raw salmon and ikura, but these foods are frozen overnight prior to eating to prevent infections from parasites, particularly anisakis. Section::::See also. BULLET::::- Eating live seafood BULLET::::- Lomi salmon BULLET::::- List of fish dishes BULLET::::- List of seafood dishes RETRIEVAL #4 = Sushi---Japanese sushi, raw fish and rice, are naturally low in fat, high in protein, carbohydrates (the rice only), vitamins, and minerals, as are "gari" and "nori". Other vegetables wrapped within the sushi also offer various vitamins and minerals. Many of the seafood ingredients also contain omega-3 fatty acids, which have a variety of health benefits. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish has certain beneficial property, especially on cardiovascular health, natural anti-inflammatory compounds, and play a role in brain function. Generally sushi is not a particularly fattening food. However, rice in sushi contains a fair amount of carbohydrates, plus the addition of other ingredients such as mayonnaise added into sushi rolls might increase the caloric content. Sushi also has a relatively high sodium content, especially contributed from "shoyu" soy sauce seasoning. Section::::Health risks. Some of the ingredients in sushi can present health risks. Large marine apex predators such as tuna (especially bluefin) can harbor high levels of methylmercury, which can lead to mercury poisoning when consumed in large quantity or when consumed by certain higher-risk groups, including women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children. According to recent studies, there have been about 18 million infections worldwide from eating raw fish. This serves RETRIEVAL #5 = History of sushi---History of sushi The history of sushi began with Paddy Fields in Asia, where fish was fermented with salt and rice, after which the rice was discarded. The dish is today known as "narezushi", and was introduced to Japan around the Yayoi period. In the Muromachi period, people began to eat the rice as well as the fish. During the Edo period, vinegar rather than fermented rice began to be used. In pre-modern times and modern times, it has become a form of fast food strongly associated with Japanese culture. Section::::Early history. The earliest form of sushi, a dish today known as narezushi, has its probable origin with paddy fields along the Mekong river in Southeast Asia. The prototypical narezushi is made by lacto-fermenting fish with salt and rice in order to control putrefaction. Spreading southwards down the Mekong, narezushi then entered Austronesia. In Japan the dish's distribution overlaps with the introduction of wet-field rice cultivation during the Yayoi period. Narezushi appears in the Chinese dictionary in the 2nd century CE as the character "sa" (鮓, pickled fish with salt and rice), which was during a period in which the Han Chinese were expanding south of the Yangtze river, adopting the food from the non-Han peoples. The RETRIEVAL #6 = Fish as food---to the possibility of parasites (see Sashimi article). Parasitic infections from freshwater fish are a serious problem in some parts of the world, particularly Southeast Asia. Fish that spend part of their life cycle in brackish or fresh water, like salmon, are a particular problem. A study in Seattle, Washington showed that 100% of wild salmon had roundworm larvae capable of infecting people. In the same study farm-raised salmon did not have any roundworm larvae. Parasite infection by raw fish is rare in the developed world (fewer than 40 cases per year in the U.S.), and involves mainly three kinds of parasites: Clonorchis sinensis (a trematode/fluke), Anisakis (a nematode/roundworm) and Diphyllobothrium (a cestode/tapeworm). Infection risk of anisakis is particularly higher in fishes which may live in a river such as salmon ("sake") in Salmonidae or mackerel ("saba"). Such parasite infections can generally be avoided by boiling, burning, preserving in salt or vinegar, or freezing overnight. In Japan it is common to eat raw salmon and ikura, but these foods are frozen overnight prior to eating to prevent infections from parasites, particularly anisakis. Section::::Vegetarianism. Since fish is animal flesh, the Vegetarian Society has stated that vegetarian diet