Is That Sushi Hazardous To Your Health?

[The Battousai]

http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/11/22/2313225/Is-That-Sushi-Hazardous-To-Your-Health

pdclarry writes "A recent study by scientists at the American Museum of Natural History and Columbia University found that a piece of tuna sushi may not be tuna at all: 'A piece of tuna sushi has the potential to be an endangered species, a fraud or a health hazard,' wrote the authors. 'All three of these cases were uncovered in this study.' The study, published in PLoS ONE examined 68 samples of tuna sushi purchased from 31 restaurants in Manhattan (New York City) and Denver, Colorado. Some of these were from endangered species, others were not as labeled, and some one not tuna at all. Of these last 5 samples labeled as "white tuna" were from a toxic fish, Escolar, which is a gempylid species banned for sale in Italy and Japan due to health concerns. "It can cause gastrointestinal symptoms range from mild and rapid passage of oily yellow or orange droplets, to severe diarrhea with nausea and vomiting. The milder symptoms have been referred to as keriorrhea [i.e. flow of wax in Greek]." Fraud in sushi is not new; Slashdot also reported study on mislabeling in 2008. This new study shows that some sushi can actually make you sick. The study was also reported in Wired."

 

[knowsbleed]

I only eat sushi made in Japan.




Me living in Japan makes that kind of easy.

 

[Paroxysm]

I watched a TV show about that, some reporter went all Chris Hansen on these sushi restaurants.

Vancouver sushi places are amazing.

 

[knowsbleed]

No wonder you're awesome... you're Canadian.

 

[Carcharodon]

Don't eat bluefin tuna. Period. Not necessarily for health reasons, mind you, but the populations are on the verge of complete collapse. Of course, the largest of these fish can grow to the size of a VW Beetle and can net $100,000 per fish, so I'm not sure there's anything we can do to prevent said collapse, but it sure is a shame.

Spoiler

They're MIGHTY tasty though.

 

[SuperFerret]

Not my fault that they're tasty.

 

[enterthemadness]

I only eat sushi made in Japan.




Me living in Japan makes that kind of easy.

You live in Japan?! I though you were some White geeky dude living here in America. *Head explodes*.

 

[chaseter]

Knowsbleed is an ex-samurai who smokes like a train and drinks like a fish. He was kicked out of samurai school and shamed his family. So, he now is training for Ninja Warrior and dreams of the day he will defeat Mt. Midoriyama and bring honor back to his family.

 

[Watson]

Don't eat bluefin tuna. Period. Not necessarily for health reasons, mind you, but the populations are on the verge of complete collapse. Of course, the largest of these fish can grow to the size of a VW Beetle and can net $100,000 per fish, so I'm not sure there's anything we can do to prevent said collapse, but it sure is a shame.

Spoiler

They're MIGHTY tasty though.

How do you know what kind you're eating? Do they have to label it on the cans of tuna?

 

[chaseter]

They eat dolphins and whales in Japan...I think wrongly labeled tuna is the least of their worries.

 

[knowsbleed]

You live in Japan?! I though you were some White geeky dude living here in America. *Head explodes*.

But... I'm not you.

Knowsbleed is an ex-samurai who smokes like a train and drinks like a fish. He was kicked out of samurai school and shamed his family. So, he now is training for Ninja Warrior and dreams of the day he will defeat Mt. Midoriyama and bring honor back to his family.

Draw from this what you will... but real samurais eat lots of sushi.

 

[Carcharodon]

How do you know what kind you're eating? Do they have to label it on the cans of tuna?

I don't think they usually can bluefin tuna. It's far too valuable. If you're eating canned tuna, you probably don't have to worry about it.

If you're eating sushi or sashimi, however, most restaurants list bluefin tuna separately from the other varieties (and it's usually more expensive). Still, it never hurts to ask.

 

[katie_girl09]

I eat the vegetarian kind when I do eat it.

 

[knowsbleed]

I don't think they usually can bluefin tuna. It's far too valuable. If you're eating canned tuna, you probably don't have to worry about it.

If you're eating sushi or sashimi, however, most restaurants list bluefin tuna separately from the other varieties (and it's usually more expensive). Still, it never hurts to ask.

Would you happen to know how different the taste is? I have never eaten it but I have seen it on some menus here. I don't plan to. I'll stick to my salmon... much tastier in my opinion. That and Fugu.

 

[chaseter]

Fugu too.

 

[Watson]

They eat dolphins and whales in Japan...I think wrongly labeled tuna is the least of their worries.

I saw the Cove a few weekends ago. That whole industry is f**ked.

I don't think they usually can bluefin tuna. It's far too valuable. If you're eating canned tuna, you probably don't have to worry about it.

If you're eating sushi or sashimi, however, most restaurants list bluefin tuna separately from the other varieties (and it's usually more expensive). Still, it never hurts to ask.

Ah ok. It's good to know I'm not eating tuna-endangered-species-salad.

 

[Carcharodon]

Would you happen to know how different the taste is? I have never eaten it but I have seen it on some menus here. I don't plan to. I'll stick to my salmon... much tastier in my opinion. That and Fugu.

I ate it before I knew about the population decline (just like I ate shark-fin soup before I knew how the fins are "harvested"), which was a while ago, but from what I remember it was ****ing delicious. I know it's counter-productive to tell you that, but I'm not going to lie about it.

...it probably tastes even better when you know it's practically endangered.

 

[SuperFerret]

"Endangered" is like "For a Limited Time Only", when it comes to food.

 

[ChickenScratch]

They eat dolphins and whales in Japan...I think wrongly labeled tuna is the least of their worries.

Yeah, I've had dolphin and whale in Japan. Pretty good.

I also love sushi, nothing's gonna make me stop or slow down. I have sushi for lunch at least twice a week.

 

[Watson]

^And filled with delicious mercury.

 

[Carcharodon]

Yeah, I've had dolphin and whale in Japan. Pretty good.

I also love sushi, nothing's gonna make me stop or slow down.

Yeah, not even mercury poisoning! Physiology be damned!!

 

[Majic Walrus]

I love sushi. I do lots of dangerous things, sushi is the least of my worries.

 

[ChickenScratch]

As MW said, there are a many great things we do more dangerous than eating fish. I don't see myself developing a phobia to one of my favorite foods. One can argue the dangers of just about anything ... like salmonella in many meats.

 

[Carcharodon]

Dude...it was a joke.

 

[knowsbleed]

I ate it before I knew about the population decline (just like I ate shark-fin soup before I knew how the fins are "harvested"), which was a while ago, but from what I remember it was ****ing delicious. I know it's counter-productive to tell you that, but I'm not going to lie about it.

...it probably tastes even better when you know it's practically endangered.

Now I'm hungry.