Are roundworms in fish dangerous? Why are we spending all this time and money removing this worm?
Ringworms
Infection with ringworm is not very well known in Iceland, but abroad and especially where the consumption of raw fish is common, and this disease is called "anisakiasis". This disease is very painful, and people can get it if they eat fish with live herring worm larvae.
Dead snakes do not cause infection and are safe, but herring worms are very resistant organisms, but one thing is for sure, they do not tolerate high temperatures and die if the temperature of the fish exceeds 60 ° C for 1 minute, so in boiled fish these worms are dead and therefore safe.
Freezing also kills worms, so traditional frozen products do not contain live worms.
Herring worms can survive on mild salt treatment, but they do die in conventional salted fish after a relatively short time. Regarding the effect on herring, it is now required that herring processed in less salt than 15% be previously frozen for 24 hours at -20 ° C.
Smoking alone is not enough to kill the ringworm larvae, they tolerate cold smoking well and therefore it is necessary to freeze the raw material before smoking, but hot smoking should in most cases be enough to make the worm harmless.
Ringworm larvae tolerate marinating well, eg 2% acetic acid and 5% saline, and are still alive after 25 days in such a mixture, but preservatives such as sorbic acid and benzoic acid accelerate their death.
The snakes do not tolerate drying out and all die when the fish is dry.
It is therefore clear that no one needs to be afraid of consuming raw fish, such as sushi.
What needs to be done is to ensure that the raw material producer is certified by the competent authorities, that the producer's internal control and all parties in the value chain are active and that the raw material is frozen at at least -20 degrees per day to remove any doubt about the parasites. Fish from freshwater and freshwater fish must not be confused with wild sea fish, as these parasites are less common in aquaculture and freshwater fish.
Most people know how healthy Icelandic seafood is. Icelandic fish is as clean and free of unwanted substances and the advantage is that the sea area around the country is clean and unpolluted. If you compare the maximum values of the European Union for the amount of these substances, you can clearly see that Icelandic seafood is far below the limit and in some seafood significant quantities are found in the various species.
In fishing we fish off the coast of Iceland, we not only have pure raw material, but it is also full of desirable substances. Fish and other seafood contain important nutrients, such as protein, vitamins and minerals, and healthy fatty acids, omega-3. Many people are aware of the goodness of omega-3 fatty acids and the importance of increasing their share of fatty acids at the expense of other fats, such as omega-6 fatty acids, which are often used in high-processed foods.
Most researchers agree that adequate but moderate intake of omega-3 fatty acids can have a positive effect on health and well-being. It is believed that the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids can:
- Has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body
- Promotes a positive balance of certain lipid levels, which in most cases reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease
- Effected to reduce the mortality rate from prostate cancer
- Promoting positive effects in the treatment of children with ADHD
- Increased effectiveness in treating children with autism
- Reduced dementia in elderly men
- Has had more positive effects, such as increased intelligence, which is still being studied and has yet to be confirmed by results from an increased number of studies
So let's continue to eat one of the healthiest foods on earth, namely Icelandic seafood!
For further information dr. Magnea G. Karlsdóttir, Head of Quality and Processing at Matís.