I bought a big-eye tuna without a sashimi label from a Japanese market. Is it safe to eat it for sashimi?!
The label on the tuna just says fresh big-eyed tuna (mebachi maguro). Should I eat it raw? It is from the Nijiya Market.
Answers:
In the U.S. raw fish that is labeled as "Sashimi Grade" BY LAW has to have been frozen to kill any possible hitch hiking parasites that could have found their way into the fish meat. this is more common with bigger and older fish, as the older they get, the more chances they have of being a host. If it says fresh, it has not been frozen, so this is your call. The chances are slim that their are any parasites in the meat.
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