In summer, whenever night falls, the street stalls start to liven up. Among the stalls, raw pickling seems to be the most refreshing presence. Many people who love to eat seafood pursue the original flavor of seafood, and raw marinade seems to meet their needs. So, what is raw pickling? Is there a food safety hazard behind pickled seafood? According to the national food safety standard "Animal based Aquatic Products" (GB10136-2015), raw pickling refers to the pickling of raw animal based aquatic products, which are made from live mud snails, shellfish, freshwater crabs, fresh or frozen sea crabs, fish seeds and other animal based aquatic products as raw materials, processed with salt or distiller's grains, and directly edible. From fresh and tender shrimp and crabs to plump shellfish, these are all ingredients used in making raw pickles. Whether raw and pickled is delicious or not depends on the sauce, and each store has its own unique secret recipe. Soy sauce, Baijiu, millet, garlic, coriander, etc. can bring out the fresh and sweet taste of shrimp and crab. Some people also add lemon, lime, preserved plum, and black plum to add some sourness. After refrigerating and marinating for a few hours, the raw marinade can be served. The brief pickling preserves the jelly like chewy texture of the ingredients, while the cool, sour, and spicy flavors create a summer exclusive "tongue stimulation". While enjoying the risks hidden behind the scenes, the food safety issues behind raw pickling have always been a concern. So, is there any risk in eating raw pickled food? How can we seek benefits and avoid harm? Risk 1: parasitic infection The third national survey on the status of major human parasitic diseases found that the habit of eating raw or semi raw freshwater fish and shrimp in some regions of China led to the concentrated distribution of Clonorchis sinensis infection. The infection rate in cities and towns and suburban areas of the the Pearl River Delta was as high as 23.36%, suggesting that food safety and health education should be strengthened to change bad eating habits. Clonorchis sinensis, also known as clonorchis hepatica, often occurs in drunk shrimp and fresh water Yusheng, and is one of the common foodborne parasites in China. Infection with Clonorchis sinensis can cause acute and chronic cholecystitis, obstructive jaundice of the bile duct, and gallstones. In severe cases, it can lead to cirrhosis and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Is it safe to eat sea fish raw if there are liver flukes in freshwater fish? Multiple studies have shown that marine fish in coastal areas of China are commonly infected with heterodyne nematodes, with higher infection rates in small yellow croaker, hairtail, bluefin tuna, and chub mackerel. Heterotip nematode is a parasite that specifically parasitizes marine animals. The main symptoms of human infection include severe upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. In severe cases, complications such as intestinal perforation, peritonitis, or intestinal obstruction may occur. Risk 2: Infection with Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Some people may experience stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea after eating raw seafood, as raw seafood carries bacteria and viruses. Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a Gram negative, halophilic foodborne pathogen widely distributed in coastal seawater, seawater sediments, and aquatic products such as fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish. According to the monitoring data of foodborne diseases in China, Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection is the leading cause of bacterial food poisoning, which can lead to wound infection, sepsis, diarrhea, headache, and acute gastroenteritis. Environmental temperature is a key factor affecting the quantity of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in aquatic products. In summer and autumn, seawater is particularly warm under sunlight, which is also the peak season for food poisoning caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Tips for Misunderstanding Many people believe that treating raw pickled materials with Baijiu, vinegar, garlic and other spices can kill bacteria, but this is not the case. The risk of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection can only be reduced by 41% when the shrimp is soaked in 55% alcohol Baijiu for 5 seconds to 15 minutes. If the aquatic products are treated with low concentration yellow rice wine, Baijiu, vinegar or other processing methods for a short time, the safety risk is obviously higher. Here's a tip for everyone: heating aquatic products until cooked is the safest method. The liver fluke cyst contained in a 1-millimeter thick fish fillet will die after 1 second in hot water at 90 degrees Celsius and 3 seconds in hot water at 75 degrees Celsius. Heating fish slices containing nematodes larvae to 90 degrees Celsius for 1 minute or to 70 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes can kill the larvae. Therefore, whether it is aquatic products from freshwater or saltwater bodies, no matter how fresh they are, it is best to heat and cook them for safe consumption. (New Society)