A. Roepstorff et al., CATCH HANDLING AND THE POSSIBLE MIGRATION OF ANISAKIS LARVAE IN HERRING, CLUPEA-HARENGUS, Journal of food protection, 56(9), 1993, pp. 783-787
The behavior of larvae of Anisakis sp. in North Sea herring (Clupea ha
rengus) after capture was examined by a sensitive quantitative method
(digestion). In one winter and one summer experiment, the mean numbers
of worms in freshly caught herring were 0.06 and 0.09 (in double fill
ets), 0.19 and 0.24 (in double belly flaps), and 10.4 and 7.8 larvae (
in viscera), respectively. In each experiment herrings were stored ung
utted for up to 5 1/2 d on ice (0-degrees-C), in refrigerated/chilled
sea water (-1-0-degrees-C), or in warm sea water (10-degrees-C), but n
o changes in the numbers of Anisakis larvae in the belly flaps and the
fillets could be demonstrated. The present results show that Anisakis
larvae are present in the flesh of herring already at capture, but no
significant postmortem migration into the flesh could be demonstrated
during storage. Thus, immediately gutting on board cannot eliminate o
r even reduce the risk from eating raw or inadequately processed herri
ng.