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Anisakis

This new threat to the well being of our salmon has become quite common in recent years. Caused my a nematode worm ingested by salmon at sea when feeding on crustaceans the salmon end up bleeding from the vent.

The nematode causing the infection must be taken seriously for it can infect humans. Infected fish can be eaten however they must be thoroughly cooked. Do not smoke them or eat raw unless they have been frozen at -20C or more for at least 24 hours, this will kill the nematodes and any larva. When hot smoking you need to heat to an internal temperature of 60 degrees C. When cooking the fish you need to heat to 70C degrees for at least 2 minutes.

More worrying is that Anisakis can cause an anaphylactic reaction in people sensitised to immunoglobulin (IgE). If you are sensitive take great care before handling fish, check them visually for signs of infection.