Is Sushi Safe to Eat? A Chicago man sued a restaurant in 2008 for allegedly serving him a parasitic tapeworm along with his salmon. So what about the sushi or sashimi that hungry buyers pick up to go during the lunch hour rush? Sushi lovers need not fret about the raw fish they consume, food scientists say, as long as the sushi has been prepared properly according to regulations by the Food and Drug Administration. People preparing sushi themselves need to take extra care with both the raw fish and the rice. Raw fish poses several potential hazards for consumers besides parasites. Bacteria can develop in non-fresh fish and produce enzymes called histamines that may result in Scombroid poisoning. Certain tropical-water fish may also have a natural toxin called ciguatera which causes gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms. Sushi eaters don't typically have to worry because sushi restaurants take certain steps in handling and preparing their fish. A required step involves freezing fish at temperatures of -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius) for seven days, or frozen at -31 degrees Fahrenheit (-35 degrees Celsius) for 15 hours, which kills any parasites.

"As far as sushi goes, the rules are in place because people were getting sick," said Keith Schneider, a microbiologist and food safety expert at the University of Florida. "The parasites are why we do the freezing on the raw fish." The cases of sushi-related illness fall far below the number of people sickened by contaminated produce such jalapeno peppers. Even in those rare cases, the rice in sushi is more often the culprit than the fish. "I got sick eating sushi at a place I go to occasionally — a fast food place, not a restaurant — and I could swear I came out with bacillus cereus," Schneider told LiveScience. The bacillus cereus bacteria can spread rapidly in rice that sits at room temperature. Sushi rice requires an acidic bath in a vinegary solution that lowers the PH to 4.1, killing troublemaking microbes and making sushi safer for the everyday foodie. Don't walk on the wild side Many sushi lovers feast contentedly on albacore or eel, but a few people aim for a more dangerous culinary experience by eating the raw flesh of a poisonous puffer fish called fugu.

Master fugu chefs sometimes include some of the poison in their prepared dish, which creates a tingly feeling on the lips when eaten. best sushi london timeoutHowever, improperly prepared fugu can kill due to the fish's potent neurotoxin.can you buy sushi rice at walmart "I consider it more of a dare than a delicacy," Schneider said. jiro dreams of sushi died"There are people who kill themselves every year trying to make fugu, and it gives sushi a bad name."donde comprar sushi en mar del plata As for trying to make sushi with raw meat other than fish, best perish the thought.buy sushi train franchise

"Raw chicken, raw beef has probably much greater risk," Schneider said, pointing to bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella that can sicken thousands each year in the United States. sushi online versand"There are reasons you don't have chicken sushi."where to buy sushi rice in dubai No food is completely without risk, but smart consumers can eat sensibly and enjoy – as long as fish are around. Expert tips for happy sushi eating The best bet for a good meal involves going to a restaurant or grabbing a sushi container from the local supermarket. If you absolutely want to prepare your own sushi, buy sushi-grade fish that has been frozen per FDA regulations. Eat your sushi as soon as possible, and do not let it sit in the fridge for more than 24 hours. Follow Life's Little Mysteries on Twitter @llmysteries.

We're also on Facebook & Google+.Food delivery in Toronto is one of the biggest reasons we order online. From lazy summers to brutal winters, there are plenty of excuses why we now turn to web sites (or apps on our smartphones) in order to get our fill from our favourite local restaurants. While in the past food delivery from restaurants was largely relegated to the usual Chinese, Indian, Thai and Pizza options, these days it's easy to get pretty much any type of food delivered to your door.But what site to use? A few years ago there were just a few different web sites that we'd use to place an order online but recently a number of new competitors have entered the space. Here's a round-up of the current crop of web sites that make it easy to order food online from your favourite Toronto restaurant.HurrierAt restaurants like Grand Electric and The Burger's Priest, getting a table can take upwards of an hour. Hurrier, a bike courier service that specializes in the city's hippest food, will let you wait at home instead.

Although it's kind of pricey, having your food delivered by bike is eco-friendly, and they can even pay for your food on your behalf. Cost: $5.50 flat rate, $2 per kilometer from pick-up point to destinationDelivery Zone: Dupont to Lake Ontario, Keele to the DVPHours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays, 12p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekendsJust-EatPowered by a team of "Anti-Cooking Activists," Just-Eat services over 160 cities across Canada, and Toronto is of course one of them. While the site is a little cluttered, they're pretty active on Twitter and seem to make it a priority to deal with customers who need help. And, if you're on the go, they have a free app.Cost: Service is free.Delivery Zone: Specific to restaurant.Hours: Specific to restaurant.OrderitOrderit services pretty much every neighbourhood in the GTA and is linked to 340 restaurants in the downtown core. With a food blog, photos, restaurant reviews and the option to collect and redeem GO Points, this site is really user-friendly.

So HungryMore concerned about the kind of food you're ordering than where it comes from? So Hungry has all of their offerings sorted by food type rather than restaurant, so you can easily compare a souvlaki dinner from The Healthy Greek with one from Souvlaki Express. The site also makes recommendations based on how many people you're ordering for, so everyone at your couch party should have enough to eat.Realeat.caRealeat.ca is your typical online ordering service where typing in your postal code lists lots of restaurant options near you to order from. Connecting Torontonians to over 50 restaurants that serve everything from pizza to Indian food is their mandate, and because they are new, their grand opening special gives you 40 per cent off your order. Another bonus: Realeat.ca offers the option to donate 10 per cent of the profits from your order to a local charity. Cost: Not yet listed on the site.Delivery Zone: Boundaries are not listed either, but typing in a postal code north of St. Clair brought up zero options.

Hours: Not yet listed on the site.Taste AwayThis site functions very similarly to Realeat.ca but it's a little more user-friendly. Taste Away works with hundreds of restaurants in the GTA, and makes great suggestions in your area when you can't decide what you're craving. When you do find your favourites on their site, they track them on your profile, and remember them for your future orders. Also, Taste Away will give you five bucks to spend on food if you recommend the site to a friend.Hours: Specific to restaurant.uEatuEat.ca looks like most of the other online order services on this site, but unlike the others, it shows you the estimated delivery time for each restaurant relative to your postal code before you even place your order. That's helpful, especially if eating ASAP is at the top of your list.TakeoutCityA newcomer to the scene, TakeoutCity only has five restaurants on its roster, and all are available for pick up only. So if you're not feeling completely lazy and you are really craving a burger from Big Moe's, this site can help you out.