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How to check sea fish for bugs

Does it need checking? In Israel, sea fish are of two kinds: some are mostly infested, and some are sometimes infested. There is no information for the USA. (Rav Moshe Vaya) Videos show worms in wild salmon, lice bugs in the head and under the scales of farm-raised salmon, and Anisakis worms even in fish from a kosher store.

Rav Vaya’s rating

USA–no information, or not found there
Israel★★ ★two kinds (e.g. wild vs. cultivated, local vs. imported): ★★ mostly infested / ★ sometimes infested

Rav Moshe Vaya, Bedikat HaMazon K’Halacha, Degree of Infestation chart, p. 936 (Sea Fish)

Which bugs

  • Wild salmon: many worms inside the flesh itself. They are very hard to clean out.
  • Farm-raised salmon: no worms in the flesh, but lice bugs are often found in the head.
  • The lice bug is fairly big and can be clearly seen, but you may not recognize it as a bug if you don’t know what it looks like.
  • Lice bugs are also found under the scales, anywhere on the body. From outside it looks like a very small red dot.
  • Anisakis worms: long worms inside the fish. They can still be there after cooking, even in fish from a kosher store.
  • In a salmon head, look for brown parasites about 1.5–2 cm long. They can be there even in fish sold under a strict hechsher. (Rav Moshe Vaya)

How to check

  1. Salmon head: take out the gills and clean well underneath.
  2. Check inside the mouth and the opening of the fish. Lice bugs are often found there.
  3. Scale the fish properly and remove all the scales. Lice bugs hide under the scales.
  4. Clean well underneath, in between, and inside the mouth before you eat the head or put it in soup.
  5. Fish pieces: open the fish and slice it into many pieces to look for Anisakis worms.
  6. You can also check the slices over a light box.
  7. Do not rely on a store that says the fish was already checked.

Watch

▶ Does Salmon Need to Be Checked for Worms and Bugs?

▶ Again. ….Worms in the Fish (Yes, From a Kosher Store)

More of his videos on this:

Pictures

A thin white Anisakis worm hanging out of the cut salmon
A thin white Anisakis worm hanging out of the cut salmon. (“Again. ….Worms in the Fish (Yes, From a Kosher Store)”, 0:24)
A small dark sea louse inside the gill cover of a farm-raised salmon head
A small dark sea louse inside the gill cover of a farm-raised salmon head. (“Does Salmon Need to Be Checked for Worms and Bugs?”, 1:44)
Lifting the gill cover to check under the gills, where a dark spot is visible
Lifting the gill cover to check under the gills, where a dark spot is visible. (“Does Salmon Need to Be Checked for Worms and Bugs?”, 2:12)

Sources

  • Rav Moshe Vaya, Bedikat HaMazon K’Halacha, Degree of Infestation chart, p. 936 (rating).
  • Rav Moshe Vaya, Bedikat HaMazon K’Halacha: summary sheet “Checking the Simanim for Rosh Hashanah” (published by Machon Aliya).

Related

References: Rav Moshe Vaya — “Checking the Simanim for Rosh Hashanah” (Machon Aliya, Hebrew)