Scientists Find Parasites in Almost Every Fish From a Recent Tuna Haul – 96% Were Infected

The point of the article seems to be calling for closer inspection of fish, and training inspectors to recognize the parasites, because the parasitic larvae can cause allergic reactions in human consumers. Allergens can remain in the meat after freezing and cooking.

Concerns regarding food allergies resulting from Anisakis sp. ingestion are prominent in the scientific community, leading to numerous publications on the topic. Although Anisakis simplex larvae are inactivated by heating above 60°C for at least 10 minutes or freezing at -20°C for 24 hours, some allergens are resistant to both cooking and freezing (Bahna, 2016). This resistance to thermal treatment was addressed by Caballero and Moneo (2004), who studied patients exhibiting reactions and symptoms after ingesting cooked or canned fish. Vidaček et al. (2009) and Audicana et al. (2002) also reported the resistance of Anisakis allergens to heat and freezing in their studies, noting that even inactivated larvae can be hazardous.

Literature reports suggest that cooking and/or freezing seafood may not be sufficient to prevent hypersensitivity reactions to Anisakis sp. Thermostable allergens have been detected in Anisakis simplex extracts, raising questions about the safety of consuming these parasites in cooked fish (Caballero and Moneo, 2004; Fæste et al., 2014; Moneret-Vautrin et al., 2005; Nieuwenhuizen and Lopata, 2009). As with other food allergens, small quantities can induce an allergic reaction in sensitized individuals. The presence of Anisakis proteins in fish and fish products poses a potential health risk for consumers allergic to this parasite; cross-reactive allergies are possible, for example, to dust mites or crustaceans (Aibinu et al., 2019).

Consuming live larvae can cause illness:

The nematode can penetrate the human intestinal wall, causing an acute, transient infection characterized by symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, and/or diarrhea

I love sushi too, storytime?