Raw fish dishes are a popular summer time item as guests crave sushi, sashimi, poke or fish tartare on hot days. Fish served raw, undercooked or cooked with acid rather than heat can pose a higher foodborne illness risk than fish cooked to temperature, so how can certified food protection managers prepare these dishes in a way that is safe for their guests? Let’s take a look at how CFPMs (Certified Food Protection Managers) can reduce the chances of sickening a guest when serving one of these tasty and popular raw fish dishes.
How CFPMs Can Serve Raw Fish Dishes Safely
For the intent of this discussion, when we refer to raw fish dishes we’re referring to fish that has not been cooked to temperature. While dishes such as ceviche, crudo and some tartare dishes may have been cooked or cured with acids such as citrus juice or vinegar, they still haven’t reached a temperature that kills pathogens. Seafood and fish pose a high risk of spreading illness via parasites and there are two effective ways of killing these parasites: cooking and freezing.
Since we’re talking about raw fish appetizers and dishes, cooking is not an option, so certified food protection managers must either freeze fresh fish or ensure that it has been previously frozen by the supplier or distributer. Before serving raw fish verify that you or your supplier has:
- Frozen and stored fish at -4 degress or below for seven days
- Frozen fish to a solid -31 degrees then stored at -31 degrees for 15 hours
- Frozen fish solid at -31 degrees and then stored at -4 degrees for 24 hours
This procedure must be followed for all fish that is intended for raw consumption with one exception. Note that fish must be frozen solid before you start factoring in frozen hold time. Certain species of fresh tuna does not require freezing before serving raw. These species commonly go under the names of:
- Yellow Fin
- Northern or Southern Blue Fin
- Bigeye Tuna
Fish eggs that have been properly harvested and rinsed may also be served raw without the freezing process. While we’ve focused on fish in this article, we should note that molluscan shellfish and seas scallops fall under different guidelines. Before deciding to serve raw oysters, mussels or clams, you may want a quick refresher on serving molluscan shellfish in the summer.
Do you enjoy raw fish dishes on a hot summer day?
