Sushi Gets The Deep Freeze In NYC

In a move aimed at killing parasites, New York City’s sushi restaurants are now required to freeze raw fish before serving.

The new health-department regulations fall in line with U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommendations. Restaurants must freeze fish for a minimum of 15 hours before serving it raw to kill the bacteria. Certain types of fish, such as shellfish, farm-raised fish and some tuna, are exempt.

The concept is not unknown to many operators. A New York State Restaurant Association official told The New York Times that most fish is flash-frozen somewhere along the supply chain, and many top restaurants already pre-freeze the “fresh” fish used for sushi, sashimi, tartare and ceviche anyway to remove parasites or bacteria on the outer surface.