New Delhi: The government on Thursday advised consumers that there is no reason to stop eating tuna or other fish amid reports of parasitic infections in skipjack tuna from the Atlantic coast off Brazil.In a detailed adv…

New Delhi: The government on Thursday advised consumers that there is no reason to stop eating tuna or other fish amid reports of parasitic infections in skipjack tuna from the Atlantic coast off Brazil.In a detailed advisory, the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (ICAR-CMFRI) in Kochi said fish examined along the Indian coast, including tuna, had shown no “external manifestations of harmful parasitic infestation”. It stressed that findings from one region should not be generalised to fish caught in Indian waters.The Agriculture Ministry released the statement after reports highlighted parasites in Brazilian Atlantic skipjack tuna. ICAR-CMFRI Director Grinson George noted that institute scientists routinely examine fish, including skipjack tuna, during biological studies and check for abnormalities or parasites when needed.300 rare ‘Channa Barca’ fish seized in Assam’s Golaghat, five arrested Parasite presence and abundance vary between individual fish and regions due to ecological conditions and the availability of intermediate hosts such as copepods.Variations in parasite occurrence are even used globally as indicators to differentiate fish stocks or populations. Therefore, results from one geographical area cannot automatically be applied to the same species elsewhere, the institute said.In India, seafood is typically prepared at high temperatures, providing an additional food-safety layer. The risk is higher in places where raw or lightly cooked seafood is culturally preferred if local parasite prevalence is elevated.ICAR-CMFRI advised proper handling, prompt evisceration, cleaning and thorough cooking. Removing the intestines and other viscera during processing, followed by proper cooking, kills parasites and significantly reduces any food-safety risk.Consumers need not avoid commercially available Indian fish solely on the basis of overseas reports, the advisory said.

Source: Deccan Herald