The wormy canned fish scare in Indonesia, which began when parasitic worms were found in three canned fish products last month, escalated to new wriggly heights after a recent government investigation revealed that worms were found in 27 canned mackerel products sold across the country.
But, according to the government, this is more of a hygiene issue than a health one, as Health Minister Nila F. Moeloek herself told the media that the worms in the canned fish — which are dead — are harmless if consumed by humans.
“As far as I know the fish isn’t eaten raw — it’s fried or cooked first. So the worms die. The worms actually contain protein, so if they’re cooked I think they could be sterile. God willing no harm will come [to those who eat it],” Nila said, as quoted by Kompas.
However, this is not a government endorsement for the public to start eating fish worms, as Nila said that the public must be extra careful when buying canned fish these days, particularly by checking expiry dates.
Sunarya, a fisheries expert at the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB), says that the canned fish worms — identified by government officials as anisakis simplex worms — are found in practically all mackerels and sardines in the ocean and that the worms should all die off before the fish is canned.
“They (the worms) are harmless when dead. The anisakis worms in canned fish are certainly dead, all the bacteria and spores are also dead. The worms die even when in 65 degree Celsius water,” Sunarya told Kompas.
Previously, the Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency (BPOM) said live anisakis simplex worms, which live in ocean fish and marine mammals, are infective to humans and may cause anisakiasis – a parasitic infection of the gastrointestinal tract that can cause severe abdominal pain, malnutrition, and vomiting.
BPOM, along with other government agencies, are testing random samples of canned fish throughout the country to check for the presence of worms. Consumers can report unhygienic canned fish, as well as other food products, to BPOM by calling 1-500-533 or texting 0812-1-9999-533.
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