In its most basic sense, ‘sushi-grade’ or ‘sashimi-grade’ refers to fish that is safe to eat raw. However, for as affirmatively that these terms are thrown around, they are largely informal and unregulated marketing terms. There’s no particular way you can cut or serve these fish which makes them safe for consumption, raw. What ‘sushi-grade’ is meant to be here, is an assurance of the fact that the fish has to be frozen to low temperatures for a specific period of time before being served on the plate. This aids parasite destruction – Vibrio, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Aeromonas are the most common finds when it comes to raw fish. The typical numbers thrown around in this regard are storing the fish at -20C for 7 days or blast freezing it at -35C for a shorter duration, as ascertained by Shradha Sahani – someone who herself has borne the brunt of the perils involved.
