ICAR-CMFRI, Kochi advises consumers not to avoid tuna over parasite reports from a specific region

ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, has issued an advisory that tuna caught along the Indian coast do not show any harmful parasite infestation and hence are safe to consume as part of a healthy diet. The institute advised consumers not to avoid tuna or other commercially available fish solely based on reports of parasitic infections detected in fish from a particular region.

The advisory comes in the wake of reports highlighting the presence of parasites in skipjack tuna based on a study conducted on fish from the Atlantic Ocean off Brazil.

Scientists at ICAR-CMFRI regularly examine fish, including skipjack tuna, as part of fish biology studies and observe fish for abnormalities and parasites whenever necessary. The fish examined do not show external manifestations of harmful parasitic infestation”, said Dr Grinson George, Director, ICAR-CMFRI.

The institute said such findings from a particular geographical region should not be generalised to tuna caught in Indian waters. The presence and abundance of parasites in individual fish can vary depending on ecological conditions and the availability of intermediate or secondary hosts such as copepods. Because of this trait, parasites have been used as an indicator to differentiate fish stocks or populations globally.

As an additional precaution for food safety, ICAR-CMFRI advised that proper and quick evisceration is an important step for ensuring food hygiene. The intestines and other viscera are normally removed during processing and cleaning. Further, proper cooking kills parasites and significantly reduces any associated food-safety risk.

However, in certain countries raw or lightly cooked seafood is consumed as a cultural practice and can be risky if the parasite prevalence in the particular locality is high and not properly evaluated. In India, normal culinary practices with seafood involve cooking at high temperatures.

Consumers need not avoid tuna or other commercially available fish merely because parasites have been reported in fish from a specific geographical region. The Institute emphasised that consumer awareness about proper handling, cleaning and cooking of seafood is key to minimising potential risks while continuing to enjoy the nutritional benefits of fish and other seafood.

(Source: ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi)