Published
Fish is an important part of a nutritious diet. However, eating raw fish can have food safety risks and precautions need to be taken when preparing dishes such as sushi, sashimi, ceviche, gravlax and cold smoked salmon.
Top tips for safe raw fish dishes:
Buy the best
Selecting fish that has been commercially prepared and marketed to eat raw is safest.
- Only buy raw fish labelled as sashimi grade from a reputable supplier.
- Do not use fish labelled with cooking instructions for raw fish dishes.
- If you’re not sure, you should cook the fish rather than eating it raw.
Freeze to kill parasites
Freezing raw fish for at least 7 days will kill parasites that may be present. Check with the retailer if it has been frozen and if so, for how long. But freezing will not kill potentially harmful bacteria, which is why buying the best quality is important for raw fish dishes.
Keep it cold
- Thaw frozen fish in the fridge, in a sealed container on the bottom shelf to avoid juices dripping onto other foods. Once thawed, use it within 2 days.
- If you purchased ready-to-eat raw fish (e.g. cold smoked salmon), store it in the fridge and use it before the expiry date.
Keep it clean
To prevent contamination of the fish during handling, wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap both before and after touching raw fish. Make sure the kitchen bench and your clothing or apron are clean.
Keep it separate
To avoid raw fish juices cross-contaminating other food and surfaces:
- Prepare raw fish away from other foods, especially ready to-eat foods.
- Use separate chopping boards and utensils for other foods, or thoroughly wash all equipment used with raw fish before using it for other foods.
Protect the vulnerable
Vulnerable people, including pregnant women, the elderly or ill should not eat raw fish because of potential risks such as Listeria bacteria. For further information, see our page on Food safety for vulnerable people.