This is popular in a range of cuisines – from French, Spanish to Japanese. Within a restaurant setting, one can usually trust that the chefs understand food safety.
However, it is vital that you are aware of the dangers. Likewise, it is important that you are aware of the type of seafood and fish that you cannot consume raw.
Proper safety precautions must be taken when handling raw fish and seafood, to ensure that food-borne illness is minimized.
Likewise, it is crucial to remember that consuming raw fish could lead to a parasite infection, thus, one should be knowledgeable of the dangers.
So, keep reading if you want to learn all about how to eat seafood and fish safely!
What Seafood And Fish Are Safe To Eat Raw?
Below, we will list a range of seafood and fish that is perfectly safe to eat raw.
Tuna
Tuna is a very popular choice of fish, for both cooked and raw dishes. The texture of tuna is quite firm, and overall, tuna is known for being quite a meaty fish.
When it comes to flavor, tuna tends to be on the mild side, but it does have quite a strong smell, especially when cooked.
Salmon
Salmon is another extremely popular type of fish, that is eaten both cooked and raw.
Known for its smooth and rich texture, raw salmon is quite an oily and fatty fish. The flavor of salmon can be quite mild, and it does not have a particularly pungent smell.
Salmon is both highly used in cooked and raw dishes, which generally makes it quite a safe fish to eat in restaurants.
Scallops
Scallops are commonly served cooked, but they can be eaten raw if safety precautions are ensured. Usually, scallops are prepared in the method of searing, vegan grilling, or baking.
Oysters, Clams, and Mussels
Technically, oysters, clams, and mussels can be consumed raw. They are considered a delicacy and are popular in a range of cuisines all over the world.
When it comes to eating this selection of shellfish, you should ensure that they are incredibly fresh. Seafood can turn rotten very fast, and it can make people seriously unwell.
When it comes to eating oysters, clams, and mussels at a restaurant – it is best consumed at a restaurant that either specializes in fish.
This is because they will ensure that the safety precautions are followed perfectly, and they will have good access to suppliers.
If you want to buy fresh oysters, clams, and mussels, you must be very careful. You need to ensure that they are perfectly fresh and that there are no parasites within them.
Buying frozen shellfish tends to be safer, and is just as fresh, if not fresher.
What Seafood And Fish Are Not Safe To Eat Raw?
Crab
Never consume raw crab.
The crab should not be consumed raw, as it is very possible that there could be a pathogen inside the crab meat. If this is then eaten, it can cause a range of serious diseases.
The crab should be cooked via steaming and boiling.
Lobster
Lobster must be cooked, and not eaten raw.
Lobsters can also have pathogens inside the lobster meat, which can cause a range of equally serious diseases.
Shrimp
Shrimp should also not be eaten raw.
If shrimp is eaten uncooked, it can cause extreme food poisoning. Raw shrimp can contain multiple types of very harmful bacteria, and so should be avoided.
Pollock
Pollock should absolutely never be consumed raw.
Pollock must be cooked before eating. This is because uncooked Pollock can contain a parasite called cod worms. Usually, this type of parasite is visible – but not always, so avoid uncooked Pollock at all costs.
Haddock
Haddock is another fish that should never be eaten raw.
Haddock is very susceptible to parasites, which means uncooked haddock should never be consumed.
What Are The Dangers Of Eating Raw Seafood And Fish?
There are a lot of dangers to eating raw seafood and fish.
The most common danger is bacterial infections. This is a very common illness that people obtain from eating raw seafood and fish. The main symptom of bacterial infection is diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and an upset stomach.
Another danger of eating raw seafood and fish is the risk of obtaining a parasite.
Parasites are very harmful. They are an animal, or a plant, that survives by feeding off another organism, which is referred to as the host.
The host receives no benefits from the parasite, and in fact, can get seriously ill. Some parasites can cause long-term damage, while others cause short-term damage.
How To Minimize The Risks
It is, technically, perfectly safe to eat raw seafood and fish – providing they are not the type of seafood and fish that cannot be consumed raw.
However, even traditionally edible raw seafood and fish have risks, as we stated above. It is important that you know how to minimize the risks, so you do not get a disease or an illness.
Make sure your fish smells fresh: avoid any fish that smells overly fish, or that smells sour, as that is a sign of rotten fish.
Do not leave your fish at room temperature: the maximum amount of time a fish can be left out of the refrigerator is 1-2 hours. Bacteria multiples very quickly at room temperature.
Inspect fish: make sure that you visually check the fish before you eat it. Remember that plenty of parasites are invisible and only seen under a microscope.
Summary
So, there’s a lot of seafood and fish that are perfectly safe to eat raw. Salmon and tuna are some very popular examples of fish that can be eaten uncooked.
Avoid eating crab, lobster, and haddock raw, as they are extremely dangerous.
Always practice food safety to avoid any illness and disease.
Hi, my name is Brett White, and I have a passion for cooking, and following a raw diet. Eating raw has completely changed how I view food, and has led me down a much healthier and happier path in life over the last three years.
Through Addicted To Veggies, I want to share with you my favorite raw recipes. From brownie recipes, to recipes containing pumpkin, my site is full of delicious and wonderful options to consider.
