Ontario bites off more sushi than it can chew; Health officials revisiting surprise frozen-fish rules Government taken aback by reaction of sushi lovers

October 16, 2004
The Toronto Star
F3
Rob Ferguson

On the hook for an unpopular move to restrict the use of fresh raw fish, the Ontario government is, according to this story, learning the politics of sushi are hotter than wasabi.

The close-knit sushi community is furious at how the new regulation - requiring sushi treats to be deep-frozen and thawed before serving to kill parasites - caused a firestorm and spooked some diners, only to be taken back to the drawing board by the province.

The story says that restaurateurs and critics are wondering just how thoroughly Health Minister George Smitherman and his public health officials chewed over the original decision, given their admission the sushi industry wasn't consulted.

John Lee, chef at sushi house Omi on Church St., was quoted as saying, "The government is like a Ringling Brothers Circus - scares everybody, then says, 'Whoops!' It's crazy."

Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Sheela Basrur, was cited as saying she still backs the scientific reasoning behind the new regulation, but acknowledges it was "too much, too soon, perhaps, on a relatively small issue in the food safety scheme of things, adding, "It would be nice to get things perfect on the first try every single time. But, I think, in life, it's important to recognize where you need to take a step back, make sure you're doing the right things for the right reasons, then move forward so everyone understands."

The story says that interviews with ministry officials over the last few weeks suggest the province relied on research by Health Canada, which encourages the provinces to require deep-freezing, and followed the lead of the United States and the European Union with similar regulations. Dr. Karim Kurji, Basrur's deputy, who is reviewing the research material that led to the new rules, was quoted as saying, "The risk assessment wasn't conducted by us."

The story adds that the ministry is also learning that many fish, such as tuna, are already deep frozen at sea during long fishing trips, making the new regulations moot in some cases.

A few suppliers, like Toronto-based Tuna Temple, which imports tuna, processes it and ships across Canada and around the world, only deal in what is called "superfrozen" fish chilled to -60C for food safety reasons. Company president Stavros Tripis was quoted as saying, "There's a lot of fish in the marketplace that has been frozen and gets passed off as fresh. The sushi industry should have embraced this."

The Ontario regulations, now being phased in over the three-month period that began in September, require fresh fish intended to be served raw to be frozen for seven days at -20C or below or at -35C for 15 hours. Inspectors are spending their time educating restaurateurs about the new regulations instead of issuing citations.

The freezing kills parasites and eggs that can cause roundworms and a disease called anisakiasis, which makes victims nauseous and causes severe stomach pains. In severe cases, doctors must insert a tube into the stomach to retrieve the worms.

Smitherman, who admits to loving sushi, was cited as saying he supports the new rules regardless of the controversy, adding, "This is advice that was provided to me by scientific experts. On the basis of the advice they provided, I was very happy to sign off."

Premier Dalton McGuinty was cited as telling the Star's Caroline Mallan that it's better to be safe than sorry, adding, "We're just not going to take any chances."

One problem the government didn't realize in its discussions with groups like the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association and the Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association was that the sushi community wasn't fully represented.

Recognizing they were passed over, sushi chefs met Monday to form a Japanese Restaurant Association to protect their interests.