CMFRI says Indian tuna safe after Brazil parasite reports
ICAR-CMFRI says fish along the Indian coast show no harmful parasitic infestation, urging consumers not to avoid tuna or other seafood.
The ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) has said consumers need not avoid tuna or other commercially available fish, after a study reported parasites in skipjack tuna caught in the Atlantic Ocean off Brazil.
The institute said such findings should not be extended to fish caught in Indian waters, noting that fish examined along the Indian coast, including tuna, have shown no external signs of harmful parasitic infestation.
Dr Grinson George, Director of ICAR-CMFRI, said the institute's scientists routinely examine fish, including skipjack tuna, as part of studies on fish biology, and check for parasites and other abnormalities when required.
"The fish examined by the Institute do not show external manifestations of harmful parasitic infestation," he said.
Regional variation in parasite presence
ICAR-CMFRI explained that the presence and abundance of parasites can vary between individual fish and across geographical regions, depending on ecological conditions and the availability of intermediate or secondary hosts such as copepods.
The institute added that differences in parasite occurrence are used globally to distinguish between fish stocks or populations. Findings relating to fish from one region, it said, cannot automatically be applied to the same species occurring elsewhere.
Handling and cooking advice
As an additional food-safety precaution, ICAR-CMFRI advised proper and prompt evisceration during fish handling and processing, noting that the intestines and other viscera are normally removed during cleaning.
"Proper cooking kills parasites and significantly reduces any associated food-safety risk," the institute said.
It observed that raw or lightly cooked seafood is consumed in some countries as part of cultural practices, where the risk could be higher if parasite prevalence in a particular locality is high and has not been properly assessed. In India, seafood is generally prepared by cooking at high temperatures, which offers an added food-safety measure, it said.
The institute reiterated that consumers should not avoid tuna or other commercially available fish merely because parasites have been reported in fish from a specific geographical region. It advised following appropriate handling, cleaning and cooking practices to minimise potential risks while continuing to benefit from the nutritional value of fish and other seafood.