Comments on: What’s In *Your* Sushi? http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/ A blog about life, past and future. Written by DISCOVER contributing editor and columnist Carl Zimmer. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:55:13 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Ate one, had that. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/comment-page-1/#comment-19906 Ate one, had that. Fri, 24 Jul 2009 22:55:39 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/#comment-19906 Just doing some post-traumatic Anisakis browsing and thought I'd share. If this ever happens to you, the 'gross factor' will be the least of your problems. I had excruciating, stabbing, crampy, bloating pain all over my belly for FOUR HOURS the morning after a sushi meal (U.S. restaurant). I couldn't walk, was vomiting often, and was yelling in pain. I had no fever, no diarrhea. Ruled out gastroenteritis and suspecting a kidney stone, I ended up in the emergency room on anti-nausea meds, morphine, and dilaudid. CT scan negative, very, very high WBC, inconclusive findings... Six hours later, I’m home with some percoset. The next two days were spent in bed in a fog of slowly subsiding pain. Two days ago I really wanted to figure it out and started googling "sick sushi", etc. 6 1/2 days after the sushi, I finally overcame the constipation from the narcotics and flushed the worm. (Unbelievably, I saw it and it looked like the one in the video, but dead.) So there's a head's up. Regardless, that much abdominal pain is always an emergency and can indicate other life-threatening conditions. Just doing some post-traumatic Anisakis browsing and thought I’d share. If this ever happens to you, the ‘gross factor’ will be the least of your problems. I had excruciating, stabbing, crampy, bloating pain all over my belly for FOUR HOURS the morning after a sushi meal (U.S. restaurant). I couldn’t walk, was vomiting often, and was yelling in pain. I had no fever, no diarrhea. Ruled out gastroenteritis and suspecting a kidney stone, I ended up in the emergency room on anti-nausea meds, morphine, and dilaudid. CT scan negative, very, very high WBC, inconclusive findings… Six hours later, I’m home with some percoset. The next two days were spent in bed in a fog of slowly subsiding pain. Two days ago I really wanted to figure it out and started googling “sick sushi”, etc. 6 1/2 days after the sushi, I finally overcame the constipation from the narcotics and flushed the worm. (Unbelievably, I saw it and it looked like the one in the video, but dead.)

So there’s a head’s up. Regardless, that much abdominal pain is always an emergency and can indicate other life-threatening conditions.

]]> By: Elsewhere / Headspace http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/comment-page-1/#comment-15961 Elsewhere / Headspace Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:39:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/#comment-15961 [...] What’s In Your Sushi [...] [...] What’s In Your Sushi [...]

]]> By: Brian http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/comment-page-1/#comment-11543 Brian Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:29:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/#comment-11543 To sort out the risks from sushi, might be more relevant to have the data on how what percentage of people in Japan test positive to exposure to the parasite, as opposed to the Madrid ceviche eaters. In Canada, it is mandatory for all raw fish to be flash frozen if served in restaurants. Anyone who has ever caught a fresh halibut and tried to cook it without freezing will have experienced the worms crawling out of the cooking flesh. To sort out the risks from sushi, might be more relevant to have the data on how what percentage of people in Japan test positive to exposure to the parasite, as opposed to the Madrid ceviche eaters.

In Canada, it is mandatory for all raw fish to be flash frozen if served in restaurants. Anyone who has ever caught a fresh halibut and tried to cook it without freezing will have experienced the worms crawling out of the cooking flesh.

]]> By: Around the Blogs | Bitesize Bio http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/comment-page-1/#comment-8926 Around the Blogs | Bitesize Bio Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:05:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/#comment-8926 [...] you love Sushi? Not anymore. Like this? Click here for RSS/e-mail updates about new [...] [...] you love Sushi? Not anymore. Like this? Click here for RSS/e-mail updates about new [...]

]]> By: trrll http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/comment-page-1/#comment-8828 trrll Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:23:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/#comment-8828 I've seen these squirming in a package of fresh fish that I brought home from the supermarket. I figured that they were probably harmless with cooking, but somehow, it kinda spoiled my appetite. I’ve seen these squirming in a package of fresh fish that I brought home from the supermarket. I figured that they were probably harmless with cooking, but somehow, it kinda spoiled my appetite.

]]> By: sailor http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/comment-page-1/#comment-8800 sailor Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:59:57 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/#comment-8800 Well in case anyone else is interested and cannot easily freeze stuff (agreed the best solution if you can, but they have to be frozen to minus 20C), there was a photo of those little worms with a centimeter measure. The would appear to be about 2 cm long, so quite visible. Good inspection would help. Heating to 60C would also do it, but the sushi would not taste the same. Well in case anyone else is interested and cannot easily freeze stuff (agreed the best solution if you can, but they have to be frozen to minus 20C), there was a photo of those little worms with a centimeter measure. The would appear to be about 2 cm long, so quite visible. Good inspection would help. Heating to 60C would also do it, but the sushi would not taste the same.

]]> By: Neil Fiertel http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/comment-page-1/#comment-8797 Neil Fiertel Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:27:26 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/#comment-8797 I believe that all sushi sold in North America is supposed to be flash frozen to some specific temperature and held that way for a predetermined number of days to prevent parasite infections. I hope I am right about that! I know that Japanese visitors to our sushi restaurants make faces at the fact that our sushi is not fresh as it were. I can live with it ,considering.. I believe that all sushi sold in North America is supposed to be flash frozen to some specific temperature and held that way for a predetermined number of days to prevent parasite infections. I hope I am right about that! I know that Japanese visitors to our sushi restaurants make faces at the fact that our sushi is not fresh as it were. I can live with it ,considering..

]]> By: Mrs Tilton http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/comment-page-1/#comment-8790 Mrs Tilton Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:40:44 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/#comment-8790 Oh, grow up the lot of you. Years ago I ate sushi <i>while reading Carl's book Parasite Rex</i>, and it hardly put me off my meal. (Though to be fair, IIRC the book was going on about tapeworms rather than <i>Anisakis</i> at that point.) Anyway, about the sushi worms. Lots of the fish used in most sushi joints was previously frozen. Maybe that means it's not truly right-off-the-boat-fresh, but there's an upside. Freezing kills the parasites... if the fish was frozen long enough... most of the time, anyway. So you're probably OK. Itadakimasu! Oh, grow up the lot of you. Years ago I ate sushi while reading Carl’s book Parasite Rex, and it hardly put me off my meal. (Though to be fair, IIRC the book was going on about tapeworms rather than Anisakis at that point.)

Anyway, about the sushi worms. Lots of the fish used in most sushi joints was previously frozen. Maybe that means it’s not truly right-off-the-boat-fresh, but there’s an upside. Freezing kills the parasites… if the fish was frozen long enough… most of the time, anyway. So you’re probably OK. Itadakimasu!

]]> By: sushi san http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/comment-page-1/#comment-8789 sushi san Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:24:16 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/#comment-8789 In the UK all fish to be served raw as in sushi, must of been previously frozen. Freezing kills the Anisakis. So really the only thing you need to do is make sure that the restaurant is serving previously frozen fish. Saying that - not many restaurants use previously frozen fish. In the UK all fish to be served raw as in sushi, must of been previously frozen. Freezing kills the Anisakis. So really the only thing you need to do is make sure that the restaurant is serving previously frozen fish. Saying that – not many restaurants use previously frozen fish.

]]> By: sailor http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/comment-page-1/#comment-8781 sailor Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:08:37 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/#comment-8781 "But in Madrid, where people eat a lot of raw fish, 12% of people test positive to exposure–either to the worm or to its proteins.]" Yes, but how many of those who test positive do so without painful symptoms? Also how big are those critters? easy to see if you are catching and preparing the fish yourself? I practically live on tuna, quite a lot raw, some times of the year. So far I have not felt a thing. “But in Madrid, where people eat a lot of raw fish, 12% of people test positive to exposure–either to the worm or to its proteins.]”
Yes, but how many of those who test positive do so without painful symptoms?
Also how big are those critters? easy to see if you are catching and preparing the fish yourself?
I practically live on tuna, quite a lot raw, some times of the year. So far I have not felt a thing.

]]> By: Michele http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/comment-page-1/#comment-8779 Michele Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:31:29 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/#comment-8779 I was going to have sushi for dinner but I think I will reconsider. I will have to put the images out of my mind before I have sushi again! I was going to have sushi for dinner but I think I will reconsider. I will have to put the images out of my mind before I have sushi again!

]]> By: Joy http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/comment-page-1/#comment-8775 Joy Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:45:44 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2008/08/04/whats-in-your-sushi/#comment-8775 I *knew* there was a reason why I didn't like sushi! *ducks to avoid seaweed wrappers and rice* That's one cool parasite, though. I *knew* there was a reason why I didn’t like sushi! *ducks to avoid seaweed wrappers and rice* That’s one cool parasite, though.

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