Raw Sushi and Kids

[Mickey]

My ds (11) LOVES sushi and my cousin (majoring in Nutrition) says I'm nuts to let him have it. My Pediatrician's Physician's Assistant said she thinks it's fine--she said that you can get e-coli from ground meat...it's a chance you take, but she doesn't think it's any greater than other chances we take with food.

What do you think? Do your kids eat raw sushi?

[AnnW]

We don't eat sushi..we fish with it! ;) but she is wrong you get E-coli from undercooked ground beef or chicken.

[Diane]

Because of the mercury levels... I'd probably let them have some, but keep it to a minimum. I definitely wouldn't feel good about them eating too much of it, no matter how much they liked it. :)

[Leigh]

We don't eat sushi here either..... I have never tried it, but the thought of it makes me sick.
I would be careful letting him have it.

[Amy]

Dd loves sushi, but it is with only the cooked fish, veggie kind or a california roll. Dh is the only one who loves the raw fish on rice. :sick:

[AnnW]

i did a quick google

We had sushi for DS's first birthday, and it wasn't the first time he'd had it either! We mostly give him sushi made with salmon and salmon roe, with little tastes of some of the other fish. Tuna is likely to have higher mercury content so we stay away from that.

There is a risk of parasites and bacteria in raw fish, although it is less of a risk in a good sushi place (we don't go to the cheapo places) because a good sushi chef knows how to select and handle fish. But there is always some risk in any raw food (even vegetables); we are comfortable with that.

===========

As an up and coming professional in the Public health field I would like to warn you about sushi, and all under cooked meats. There is a risk of bacterial contamination that comes with all Undercooked meats. These risks are esspecially high for young childern (usually under the age of 5) and the very old (over the age of 60).

Some things to keep in mind, like others have said make sure that your sushi is made by a well qualified chef, not just some shmoe.
Also, you may want to wait until your child is older. I don't get my son any meat that isn't well done, this includes fish.
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?p=7782859


03/06/06
Tuna Sushi Loaded with Mercury Served at Top LA Restaurants
Pregnant Women, Future Mothers, and Children Should Avoid Tuna Sushi

Los Angeles, CA – Undercover investigation of LA's top sushi restaurants reveals tuna high in mercury. GotMercury.Org visited six of Los Angeles's top sushi restaurants and found tuna sushi levels had average mercury levels of 0.721 ppm. These levels are close to the levels of king mackerel, which the FDA instructs women and children to never eat.

http://www.seaturtles.org/press_release2.cfm?pressID=291

======

Is Sushi Safe?
By Delia A. Hammock, M.S., R.D., Good Housekeeping Research Institute
How safe is it to eat sushi?


Sushi, which is raw fish served on small beds of rice, can be risky to eat because even the freshest fish can harbor parasites. That said, there are a few precautions you can take to minimize your risk of food-borne illness. First, buy sushi in a restaurant. Fish sold to sushi restaurants for raw consumption is generally frozen to -31 degrees F for at least 15 hours, which will kill any parasites. Second, the Food and Drug Administration recommends sticking with mid-ocean fish like yellow-fin tuna, which have a very low risk of parasites. To further minimize the risk, order vegetable or processed varieties like smoked salmon. But if you're in frail health or have a compromised immune system, avoid sushi completely. Ditto for the elderly, small children, and pregnant women.

--Delia Hammock, M.S., R.D., and Samantha Buckanoff, M.S., R.D.

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/nutrition/nutrition-qa-sushi-safe-1101

[Mickey]

Thanks, Ann! I did a search last night and didn't find those articles/posts.

I think it's best to avoid it, so no more raw sushi for ds. I'm just so surprised that he is so upset about even the thoughts of not being able to have it--I'm not sure if he truly thinks it's unbelievably delicious (hard for me to believe, but I will never know for certain because I will never try it) or if it's just the fact that I'm trying to stop him from something (more likely!).

Thanks for your replies, Girls!

[RCT]

Mickey I can't even begin to help you with this....we only eat the cooked fish on our sushi...Dh however likes the raw fish...I would ask your pediatrician next visit...maybe in moderation?