Sushi Safety Guidelines for Parents: Limit sushi to low-mercury varieties. Tuna and other high-mercury fish such as swordfish, sea bass, shark, tilefish, and king mackerel should be limited to no more than 12 ounces per week. Avoid bluefin, “Bigeye,” and white (albacore) tuna in particular, as they contain the most mercury.
- Yellowfin tuna contains less mercury than light or skipjack tuna.
- Other seafood, including salmon and crab, contains little to no mercury.
- Avoid eating raw seafood.
- It is deemed the most hazardous to consume because it is the most likely to be contaminated and may pose greater risks of foodborne illness.
Consider beginning with vegetarian options to ensure your child enjoys the remaining sushi ingredients. Sushi may contain bacteria or toxins, but according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it rarely causes illness. Between 1998 and 2015, sushi was responsible for 0.3% of all food-borne illnesses in the United States.
Other raw or undercooked animal protein sources, such as beef and poultry, pose comparable or even greater risks of illness. In countries, such as Japan, where sushi is a staple food, parents typically wait until their children are 2 12 to 3 years old before introducing it to them, although in some cases they wait until age 5 or later.
Receive the Hepatitis A vaccination. Even though it is uncommon, eating raw fish exposes you and your child to the risk of contracting Hepatitis A and parasites. Ensure that your child has received the Hepatitis A vaccination before exposing him or her to sushi.
Is sushi safe for a one-year-old?
As a general rule, children under the age of 5 should not consume raw fish due to their susceptibility to foodborne illnesses. Young children’s immune systems are not fully developed, so they cannot fight off any bacteria or parasites that may be present in raw fish or shellfish.
The immune systems of children are fully developed between the ages of 4 and 6. Introduce your child to Asian cuisine by selecting cooked items and cutting round, solid pieces such as sushi into smaller, more manageable pieces. When is your child old enough to eat sushi and raw fish?
Can babies eat raw salmon?
Can babies eat raw salmon? No, you should not feed your infant raw salmon. At this age, salmon for infants must always be cooked thoroughly. The Food and Drug Administration advises against feeding infants or other “high-risk” groups raw seafood. Typically, children leave the high-risk group once their immune systems are fully developed, usually between the ages of 5 and 6.