sushi / raw fish

elfinka

I love sushi, and I've been recently craving it. I'm 8 weeks pregnant and of course I read all about how you should not have raw fish etc. Not much explanation is given, except for some mysterious parasites.

There seem to be 3 types of opinion about this on the internet:

1. No raw fish allowed whatsoever. Big no-no.

2. Sushi is ok, if the raw fish used was previously frozen to kill off those mysterious parasites (sadly (?), Yamamori only use fresh fresh fish, I asked).

3. The whole "no raw fish" thing doesn't have any real basis. Japanese women apparently wouldn't dream of giving up raw fish when pregnant.

So the question is, would any of you have raw fish sushi? ATM I would be the closest to way of thinking #3, however I do have some doubts.

I never got any type of food poisoning/stomach upset from sushi... So as long as it's a trusted restaurant, it should be fine?

So would you or wouldn't you?

pwurple

I love sushi too, I had the ones with avocado, or cooked fish ones. It's mainly the sticky rice and delicious wasabi I was craving I think.

Sashimi I avoided alright.

How Strange

I wouldn't and haven't eaten sushi with fish during both pregnancies even though I love sushi and I really miss it.

As far as I know toxoplasmosis is the danger with eating raw fish, cured meats etc.

It's a personal decision but there is a risk and again, as far as I know, pregnant women are more at risk of food poisoning and toxoplasmosis. I know in Italy pregnant women get checked for it every month as standard and most Italian pregnant women wouldn't eat cured meats, unpasturised cheese etc during pregnancy. However they certainly would be more used to it than we are just as Japanese women are probably more used to raw fish as its part of their everyday diet. I certainly don't eat sushi everyday even though I'd love to.

mcballer

Nothing 'Mysterious' about the parasites OP. Wild fish are likely to have parasites due to eating a wild diet at sea. And if ingested the parasites can have a pretty nasty effect. The risk for parasites in farmed fish is more negligible due to them having controlled diets/environments. On the Yammamori thing...there is EU legislation in place that states all wild fish for sushi /sashimi must be frozen for a stated temperature/amount of time before use in sushi etc as that will kill the parasites. The rules have been relaxed in relation to some farmed fish, when evidence is there of lack of parasites in the farmed fish. Though M+S do a cooked fish sushi....

holding

You might find that you satisfy your craving by eating vegetarian sushi, with avocado/ cucumber/ etc in it instead of fish? Worth a try anyway. I find that it's actually the soy sauce and wasabi I want rather than the rest of the sushi

Dinkie

I'm afraid I have been eating sushi (raw fish), cured meats, soft eggs. I haven't had any ill affects so far. To be honest with the sushi, I forgot I was pregnant if that makes sense (I still forget I'm pregnant sometimes). The cooked fish sushi in Yamamori is just as nice as the raw stuff.

However I am careful about where I get the cured meat from (only vacuum sealed packets) and only if I cook the eggs my self.

The only time I had a slight upset tummy was ordering from a place in the liffey valley food court. Again, I forgot I was pregnant (was only 15 or so weeks) and ordered chicken. It was my own fault as thinking back the chicken had been lying in a bain marie.

dublinlady

I haven't and wouldn't... Just not worth the risk for me.. I also wouldn't eat soft ice cream or blue cheese..

MurdyWurdy

dublinlady wrote: »

I haven't and wouldn't... Just not worth the risk for me.. I also wouldn't eat soft ice cream or blue cheese..

I really miss soft ice cream! Had a few walks on dun laoghaire pier recently and it 's not the same without teddy's

I've also been avoiding the above, as well as other unpasteurised soft cheese and soft eggs plus hollandaise and sauces like that. Really missing eggs benedict for brunch. Personally I wouldn't eat sushi but it 's up to you, you seem to be doing the research and weighing it up. I got told off the other day for eating peanuts which apparently you're not supposed to do but from what I have read that's only for women that have a family history of severe but allergies. There's so much conflicting advice out there!

elfinka

It's interesting to read all the opinions, thanks for sharing.

Sushi I'm craving is the raw salmon one, but I guess it's better to stay away. Might go and get the cooked fish one... Mmm hungry.

mcballer - I read about the freezing of all fish for raw consumption in US, I wasn't aware it's in place in EU. Interesting, thanks for bringing this up!

dinkie I wasn't aware that soft boiled eggs could carry any danger! There seems to be more and more foods one shouldn't touch when pregnant

I think we are getting a bit too paranoid about pregnancy and food. Even for non pregnant women/people in general there is a risk of food poisoning, if you are not careful. That said, I'm still considering the sushi thing...

Although I guess I'd rather have some sushi than alcohol (even though I heard some doctors would allow a glass of wine every now and then).

elfinka

omg soft ice cream too (because of the eggs?), MurdyWurdy?! Fortunately I'm not a fan of soft cheese or peanuts!

You're right, there is a lot of conflicting advice flying around, it's easy to get paranoid! Especially with the first pregnancy

MurdyWurdy

elfinka wrote: »

omg soft ice cream too (because of the eggs?), MurdyWurdy?! Fortunately I'm not a fan of soft cheese or peanuts!

You're right, there is a lot of conflicting advice flying around, it's easy to get paranoid! Especially with the first pregnancy

It's to do with the soft serve machines and listeria I think!

Eggs are the one thing I'm most careful of. Some places say no deli meats, like ham and stuff but I think that is overkill!

Morpork

My girlfriend is Japanese and has 8 years experience as a sushi chef in both Japan and Ireland. She said salmon is the safest of all sushi because it's sourced locally and it will be the freshest. It also has one of the lowest mercury counts (see below).

mcballer mentioned the EU legislation to freeze the fish first, but at the two Irish restaurants she worked at(reputable) they didn't freeze the fish. However, while freezing it will kill some types of bacteria, some will grown back after it's defrosted anyway. Some fish such as tuna and prawns will be frozen at some stage most likely on the boat, since it's sourced furthest away.

It's her opinion that because you're only 2 months pregnant you shouldn't eat fish because of mercury content which the baby cant flush out of it's system. So it would be best to wait until after 4 months when the baby develops a digestive system. Then, once you don't go mad on the sushi it should be fine especially since you haven't had any reaction to it before. In some ways it would be beneficial because of the EPA/DHA in fish.

lolademmers

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

It's to do with the soft serve machines and listeria I think!

Eggs are the one thing I'm most careful of. Some places say no deli meats, like ham and stuff but I think that is overkill!

When you say soft serve ice cream do you mean a 99??? Please say it ain't so!! Haven't had one this year yet but what's a summer evening without a 99!

foodaholic

It's a personal thing. What you can and cannot eat regularly changes.

So many people told me they weren't allowed cooked shellfish, but my dietician said it was okay.

I was told no smoked salmon a but I choose to eat it. I did stir clear of unpasteurised cheese and all liver

I have my own hens so decided their eggs where safe to eat soft.

kandr10

Just on the ice cream front... I'd heard not to have it from a machine but do you think the scoops of ice cream from a gelato shop would be no go too?

I read something interesting about peanuts in one of the pamphlets the gp gave. They said its safe to, just that for a couple of years while they were doing the research, they advised against it just in case. They're happy to say there's no risk now though. (Ever wonder who 'they' are? Lol)

elfinka

Morpork wrote: »

My girlfriend is Japanese and has 8 years experience as a sushi chef in both Japan and Ireland. She said salmon is the safest of all sushi because it's sourced locally and it will be the freshest. It also has one of the lowest mercury counts (see below).

mcballer mentioned the EU legislation to freeze the fish first, but at the two Irish restaurants she worked at(reputable) they didn't freeze the fish. However, while freezing it will kill some types of bacteria, some will grown back after it's defrosted anyway. Some fish such as tuna and prawns will be frozen at some stage most likely on the boat, since it's sourced furthest away.

It's her opinion that because you're only 2 months pregnant you shouldn't eat fish because of mercury content which the baby cant flush out of it's system. So it would be best to wait until after 4 months when the baby develops a digestive system. Then, once you don't go mad on the sushi it should be fine especially since you haven't had any reaction to it before. In some ways it would be beneficial because of the EPA/DHA in fish.

This is such an interesting bit of information, thank you so much! It's good to find a Japanese person's opinion on this. Are parasites any worry according to your gf? Personally I would think the risk is minimal, but that's what you read as a justification of "no raw fish when pregnant".

Morpork

elfinka wrote: »

This is such an interesting bit of information, thank you so much! It's good to find a Japanese person's opinion on this. Are parasites any worry according to your gf? Personally I would think the risk is minimal, but that's what you read as a justification of "no raw fish when pregnant".

You're welcome, she said that salmon has less of a chance to have parasites, compared to mackerel or squid, but still has a chance of course. The parasite that you've probably been reading about is Anisakis. They are actually visible to the naked eye, so before eating the sushi, check it carefully for very tiny white worm like parasites. Sounds scary, but this would be if the sushi isn't prepared properly, and they probably shouldn't be preparing sushi at all.

Toxoplasma was mentioned by How Strange earlier in the thread, but my girlfriend said it's not present in fish. But if you're eating lamb or pork make sure it's cooked well as it can be present in them. It's actually more dangerous than Anisakis as it would more directly effect your baby. Whereas Anisakis would give you digestive problems and vomiting, no diarrhea which is a unique type of food poisoning. It's obviously not good for the baby, but it's not directly effecting it.

So, overall just make sure the meats are cooked well and the sushi is from a reputable restaurant and checked well. Also, the ginger and wasabi served with sushi is not just for taste, but it also helps kill bacteria. And as said before, don't go mad on it.

pwurple

It's her opinion that because you're only 2 months pregnant you shouldn't eat fish because of mercury content which the baby cant flush out of it's system. So it would be best to wait until after 4 months when the baby develops a digestive system

Just on this, fish is really good for you during pregnancy, just avoid the raw or high in mercury. All those omegas etc, are really very good for baby, especially for brain development. I ate *more* fish during pregnancy if anything.

elfinka

Thank you for a detailed reply once again, Morpork.

pwurple, in general I'm not a huge fish eater. I try to have it at least once a week, but that's about it. I need to try harder, but I just don't like the really "fishy" fish like cod or haddock, and they are the most popular in Ireland... Any ideas how to incorporate more fish in my diet?

MurdyWurdy

kandr10 wrote: »

Just on the ice cream front... I'd heard not to have it from a machine but do you think the scoops of ice cream from a gelato shop would be no go too?

I read something interesting about peanuts in one of the pamphlets the gp gave. They said its safe to, just that for a couple of years while they were doing the research, they advised against it just in case. They're happy to say there's no risk now though. (Ever wonder who 'they' are? Lol)

As far as I know gelato etc is fine. I'm eating it anyway! Had some tonight and it's done wonders for my heart burn!