HOW DANGEROUS IS RAW FISH?
The couple with the unwanted worm add-on to their rice bowl said on Facebook that they hoped to avoid serious health trouble after the encounter.
The parasite in question – called Anisakis – can cause the anisakiasis disease, with symptoms of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, abdominal swelling, diarrhoea and mild fever.
In 2015, a specific strain of Group B streptococcus (GBS) bacteria infected more than 160 people in Singapore who had eaten dishes containing raw freshwater fish.
Two died, one 50-year-old man had to have all of his limbs amputated and another 54-year-old man came out of a two-week coma without his hearing.
It was the largest outbreak of its kind in the world, and led to Singapore banning the sale of ready-to-eat or RTE raw freshwater fish.
All RTE raw fish – including those found in dishes from sushi and sashimi to poké and yu sheng – is considered high-risk food as it is uncooked, said the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on its website.
“Raw fish contains a higher germ count, which can increase if good hygiene practices are not observed during the preparation process, such as preparing the fish with dirty hands and using dirty utensils and cutting boards.”
Besides microbiological contamination, the consumption of RTE raw fish also carries a risk of contracting parasitic diseases, added the agency.
WHAT PRECAUTIONS ARE IN PLACE?
Stringent checks and tests are conducted on food like raw fish, to try and catch a wide range of hazards including microbial pathogens and parasites, said SFA.
The agency said its food safety monitoring programme is “guided by a science-based risk assessment and management approach that is consistent with international standards”.
It also takes a “joint responsibility” approach to food safety.
In February 2021, statutory board Enterprise Singapore and the industry-led Singapore Standards Council issued guidelines for the proper handling, storing and processing of RTE raw fish.
The aim is to prevent bacterial and parasitic contamination, and keep raw fish safe for consumption.
Industry players are recommended to ensure that frozen RTE raw fish is received at specific temperatures, and to educate consumers on how to retain the quality and safety of raw fish after purchase, among other things.