Why Raw Fish is Nothing to Worry About

Some people come to our Seattle sushi restaurant with concerns about how safe it is to eat raw fish. Cooking is a valuable way to eliminate dangerous pathogens and parasites, so it is understandable that many Americans would be leery of uncooked sushi. However, fewer people in this country get sick from bad sushi every year than they do from contaminated produce. As long as you’re dining in a sushi restaurant of any reasonable repute, you can rest easy knowing that you’ll be at least as healthy leaving as you were when you first arrived.

The first thing to realize is that sushi restaurants are held to strict health standards. Our methods for keeping and preparing fish are better than the average fooderie, eliminating much of the need for cooking. We also use only “sushi grade” fish, which is selected and overseen with a highly discerning eye. A single poisoned customer could very well mean that a long line of people would lose their jobs.

Another benefit of sushi is that it’s mostly made up of saltwater fish. The ocean is a much more hostile place to microbes and other tiny organisms, so most of the parasites you should worry about are found exclusively in freshwater fish. This is why all of the river and lake fish that you see in a sushi roll will probably be fried.

The bottom line is that sushi is nothing to worry about. Experts agree that the health benefits of sushi far outweigh any potential drawbacks, which is more than can be said for your average cheeseburger. Do the right thing for your body, and dig into a plate of sushi today!