A now-viral Facebook post shows videos and photos of a parasitic worm wiggling around in a sashimi rice bowl from Japanese discount store chain Don Don Donki in Singapore.
In her Feb. 8 post, Jayice Tan explained that she and her husband were enjoying their Don Don Donki sashimi rice bowls when they noticed “something unusual.” After observing their meals for a while, they noticed something “moving and wriggling.”
“It was ALIVE and WRIGGLING parasitic work in the Kaisen Don we were so astounded,” Tan wrote in her description. “What’s worse is that we’ve both eaten and almost finish[ed] it!”
“Do OPEN your eyes BIG BIG before you put food into your mouth,” Tan warned.
In her videos and photos, a clear worm-like parasite can be seen on a slice of sashimi moving and curling in on itself.
The post quickly went viral, garnering over 1,500 shares and 465 comments as of this writing.
Don Don Donki responded to Tan’s post through a spokesperson, according to The Straits Times.
Warning that parasites in fresh seafood are common, the spokesperson maintained that Don Don Donki adheres to safety checks.
At Don Don Donki, proper cold-chain management is maintained and visual checks are conducted throughout the handling process – from product sourcing and receiving, to storage preparation and display. While we have made our best attempts to remove (parasites), we may not be able to remove them entirely if they are deeply embedded in the flesh.
Identifying the parasite as anisakis — which can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and other symptoms related to the digestive system — the spokesperson clarified the parasite “might be present in wild-caught (seafood) such as mackerel, sardine and squid.”
In light of the incident, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) warned the public of the risks related to consuming raw fish.
“Ready-To-Eat (RTE) raw fish is considered a high-risk food as it does not go through a cooking process,” the agency told CNA. “Besides microbiological contamination, the consumption of RTE raw fish also carries a risk of contracting parasitic diseases.”
