Hazards control on fish and fisheries products

Abstract

As is well known from the iconic sushi and sashimi of Japanese cuisine, Japanese people have preferred to consume raw seafood. Therefore, preventing food poisoning due to contamination by the pathogenic bacteria Vibrio parahaemolyticus was one of the most important issues for many years in Japan. In 1996, 292 incidents were reported in Japan, but this was reduced to 22 incidents in 2018, as a successful achievement of risk assessment, management, and control of V. parahaemolyticus. In recent years, the number of incidents of anisakiosis significantly increased due to consumption of raw mackerel, Pacific saury, and other finfish containing the parasite Anisakis spp. Effective risk management should be carried out to control this poisoning. On the other hand, the number of tetrodotoxin poisoning incidents was not many. Still, it did occur, with fatal cases every year.

In the Ryukyu Islands, comprising Okinawa Prefecture and Kagoshima Prefecture’s Amami Islands, located in the subtropical region, ciguatera fish poisoning is reported every year and is a significant issue in food poisoning events. These poisonings were caused by the consumption of certain species of carnivorous fish captured in this area, and the fish was contaminated with ciguatoxins. Rhabdomyolysis after consumption of marine finfish was also reported, but infrequently. The principal agent of this poisoning is still unknown.

In this review paper, we described and discussed the seafood poisoning risk shown above in the past and present and those expected to occur in future.