Can you eat fish with parasites

In this brief guide, we will address the query, “can you eat fish with parasites?” We will also discuss why parasites appear on fish, and what can happen if you ever consume any of these parasites.

Can you eat fish with parasites?

Yes, you can eat fish with parasites. If you find tiny worms in your fish, it does not mean you need to dispose of them, all you need to do is to cook fish adequately, that way you will kill all the worms, and no health problems will affect you.

The thing with these worms is that you can not be sure if they will pass through the intestine and be excreted, or if they will be attached to the stomach. If this last thing occurs, you may develop some conditions called anisakiasis or diphyllobothriasis.

What are anisakiasis and diphyllobothriasis?

Worms found in fish are classified as anisakid nematodes, and they can infect the stomach or intestine lining of human beings. The only way to get this disease is when raw fish or squid is consumed.

Some symptoms that are associated with anisakiasis are:

  • Nausea.
  • Vomiting.
  • Abdominal pain.
  • Diarrhea.
  • Feces with blood or mucus.
  • Fever.
  • Some allergic reactions can also occur, like itching, or even anaphylaxis.

On the other hand, diphyllobothriasis is just another condition that can be triggered by consuming raw or undercooked fish tapeworms. If humans consume these kinds of worms, the larval forms will grow into the intestine until they reach adulthood.

Not lethal symptoms have been linked to the infection of fish tapeworms. However, some symptoms of this condition are:

  • Vitamin B12 deficiency
  • Intestinal obstruction
  • Diarrhea
  • Abdominal pain

The only way to avoid being affected by these parasites is to properly cook and handle fish, as the FDA has reported.

What is the proper handling of fish?

The FDA advises following several recommendations to avoid any diseases associated with the consumption of undercooked or raw fish. The tips are:

  • Only buy fish with a fresh and mild smell. If you detect a fishy or ammonia smell, do not consume that fish!
  • The fish’s eyes need to be clear and shiny.
  • Whole fish need to exhibit firm flesh, red gills, and zero odor.
  • Fresh filets need to have firm flesh and red bloodlines need to be visible.
  • Do not consume any fish filets with discoloration, darkening, or drying around the edges. 
  • Cook seafood properly, which means it needs to reach an internal temperature of 145º C, at least.
  • To store frozen fish, take the following measures:
  • For a life below 7 days, freeze it at -20º C.
  • At -35º C or below, until solid, and store at -35º C or below for 15 hours.
  • At -35º C or below until solid and store at -20º C or below for 24 hours.

If you want further guidance on this subject, please click here

Why do fish get parasites?

It all starts when a mammal eats anisakid-infected fish. After this, the nematodes will grow to maturity and the mammals will excrete the eggs into the water. Now, shrimps will consume these eggs, and when fish or squid consume the shrimp, then they will develop the worms we all know.

This mechanism changes just a little bit when we are talking about tapeworms. But the only part that changes is that this time no shrimps will be involved but crustaceans. 

That easily spreads fish parasites, really impressive, right?

Can you physically remove fish parasites?

Some people try to trim away or physically remove fish parasites. And by these methods, you can reduce their number, but you will not be able to completely eliminate them, you will not even achieve a decent elimination, so the only way to get rid of fish parasites is by baking or cooking infected fish.

How can you avoid contamination when preparing fish?

The most important thing to achieve when preparing fish is to avoid the spreading of bacteria found on raw seafood, follow these tips to avoid contamination:

  • Physically separate raw seafood from cooked seafood.
  • Wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds, and use hand soap and warm water.
  • Disinfect and use clean boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops between the preparation of raw foods, and food ready to be consumed.
  • If you want to transport fish, the cooler you use needs to be clean as new, because if not, it can lead to harmful bacteria growth. 

As you may have noticed, worms in fish are very common and, even when they look disgusting, if they have been properly treated, they will not represent any harm to your health.

Other FAQs about Fish that you may be interested in.

Can you eat grouper when pregnant?

Can you eat Koi fish?

Can you eat jellyfish?


Conclusion

In this brief guide, we have addressed the query, “can you eat fish with parasites?” We have also discussed other queries related to the subject at hand. 

Hope you found this blog useful. If you have any questions, please let us know.

Citations

https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/selecting-and-serving-fresh-and-frozen-seafood-safely#:~:text=Fresh%20fillets%20should%20have%20firm,and%20little%20or%20no%20odor.

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/anisakiasis/faqs.html#symptoms

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/worms-in-fresh-fish-a-common-occurence-1.4779513

https://www.seafoodhealthfacts.org/safety/parasites/

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