Farmed Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout are safe for sushi and sashimi
It is safe to eat farmed Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout from Norway without freezing. Studies confirms that it is unlikely to find the parasite Anisakis in those species.
Current regulations imply that fishery products intended to be consumed raw or almost raw, must undergo freezing before consumption. The objective of this treatment is to kill any parasites possible present in the product.
Reports from studies made by Institute of Marine Research concludes that it is unlikely that farmed Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout can contain Anisakis. The reports thus confirm the conclusion by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) from 2010, based on monitoring data from several salmon producing countries, including Norway - Scientific Opinion on risk assessment of parasites in fishery products (efsa.europa.eu).
Farmed salmon and rainbow trout is exclusively fed on heat-treated dry feed, which does not contain any viable parasites. This explains the absence of Anisakis.
Conditions for exemptions from the freezing requirement
- fish is cultured from embryos and fed their whole life on a diet that cannot contain viable parasites
- food business operators must continuously assess and have routines ensuring that production systems do not present a health hazard with regard to the presence of parasites
- food business operators must immediately report changes in the production system of importance for the presence of parasites, to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
All findings of parasites in food intended to be consumed raw or almost raw, must be reported to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
Other species and production systems
Exemption from the freezing requirements can be given to other farmed species if sufficient documentation is given for the presence of viable parasites.
Fish cultured from embryos and fed their whole life on a diet that cannot contain viable parasites and farmed in systems that by nature exclude any possibility for infection (e.g. closed systems), is exempted from the freezing requirements. Anyway, the food business operator must demonstrate good practices for such farming systems.
Information on compliance
When placing fish on the market, food business operators must prove that their fishery products originate from fish farming which complies with certain conditions. This is to ensure that their fishery products do not present any health hazard regarding live parasites. The information can be addressed in the commercial documents or by any other information following the actual fishery products.