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Comment by gambiting | Hacker News Reader

Isn't that true of literally everything though? Raw vegetables are not safe to eat unless washed properly, cooked meat isn't safe to eat unless cooked properly, raw meat isn't safe to eat unless handled properly, damn even something as simple as garlic oil isn't safe to eat unless you know exactly how it was prepared and stored.

I have no idea if the risk with sashimi is any greater than with other things, but I'd guess not?

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Sushi (with fish) and sashimi are usually on the list of foods to avoid for high risk people along with raw meats, cold deli meats, runny or raw eggs, etc. Those are usually a little overcautious, but I think it's safe to say there's more risk with fish than with eating a raw vegetable.

It is true, BUT, (and this is a big but, almost a baby got back but) the risk is not the same for improperly handled vegetables vs. meats or seafood. Poorly handled veggies generally will give you E. Coli, or a similar sort of nasty stomach/food illness.

Bad seafood can give you parasites.

It’s like the risk of surfing vs. the risk of driving a wave-runner. Both can injure you on the water but a bad wave-runner accident might kill you.

Bad seafoods can also give you a bunch of other bacterial infections. Meat, and in particular fish meat, is a breading ground for all sorts of bacteria.

After washing a carrot, it stays safe to eat for hours at room temp. Fruits can stay safe to eat for days. Fish, on the other hand, goes bad in about 2 hours when it's cooked. Much faster when it's raw.

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