Sunny Health

About four months ago, raw fish lovers had a food scare when a technician had to have his limbs removed due to complications after consuming raw fish. It was thought that there was no direct link between the safe consumption of carefully prepared raw fish and bacteria infection, but now this scare is back again with a vengeance. Salesman Mr Sim Tharn Chun is currently in a coma days after consuming a bowl of yusheng-style raw fish porridge. Blood tests confirmed that he was infected by Group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacteria, leading to meningitis.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has consequently ordered all food stalls to stop selling raw fish dishes, though restaurants may sell raw fish dishes if they adhere to proper food handling guidelines. No mention has been made concerning raw fish products sold in supermarkets for consumption as yusheng or sahimi; it is likely that these will continue to be sold, as infections and food poisoning in Singapore usually occur due to poor food handling processes rather than the food source itself. Lovers of raw fish too must exercise caution if you wish to get your sashimi fix from the supermarket. Infections spread through raw food are particularly potent due to the lack of the cooking process, which helps to eliminate many dangerous bacteria.

Here are some tips to safely handle raw fish:

Use clean utensils like chopsticks or forks to pick up the meat, not your hands which may have come into contact with germ-infested things without you realising, like your handphone for example.

Do not place it with other raw meat or unwashed vegetables.

Always wash your chopping board before slicing fish on it. Never transit among different types of food without washing the board.

Keep the fish where pests and pets can’t get to it.

Do not handle the fish when ill to prevent spreading of germs.

If there are wounds and sores on your hands, make sure they are covered, and put on a pair of clean, disposable gloves. Never reuse these gloves for other purposes aside from handling the fish.

Wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling the raw fish.

Check out kitchen and food hygiene tips I’ve shared in a previous post as well.