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Sushi-grade fish, available at specialty stores and fish vendors, must meet certain aesthetic and health requirements. According to New Hampshire's WMUR television station, fish that is suitable for eating raw must be frozen for seven days at negative 4 degrees Fahrenheit, or flash frozen for 15 hours at negative 31 degrees. Contrary to popular belief, fish that's "fresh out of the ocean" is often dangerous to eat. This abstract of a recently archived New York Times article revealed some helpful facts: - Fifty to sixty percent of sushi in
United States is frozen at some point.
- The Food and Drug Administration stipulates that all fish to be eaten raw (with the exception of tuna) must be frozen first, in order to kill parasites.
- The FDA leaves enforcement of the frozen-fish rule to local health officials.
Tina Ujlaki of Food & Wine magazine rather unhelpfully notes that in addition to meeting the FDA freezing guidelines, "sushi-grade" fish must meet standards of freshness, fat content, and firmness.
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