"I do not recommend the home preparation of raw fish," Ryan says. ''Restaurants serving raw fish are usually aware of the possible hazards and take the necessary precautions. However, there are no guarantees."
One disease in question is anisakiasis, which is a parasitic roundworm infection. Effects can be mild or serious, it is difficult to diagnose and cannot be treated with medication. Referring to a Consumer Nutrition Alert newsletter published by Environmental Nutrition, Inc., the disease may often be misdiagnosed as appendicitis, peptic ulcer or even stomach cancer. It may be a week after ingestion before symptoms appear.
"Fish most often affected," states the newsletter, "are mackerel, herring, squid, sardines, bonito, salmon and other saltwater fish. The fresher the fish, the less likelihood of contracting anisakiasis because the larva move from the fish's stomach only after it is dead. Therefore, one preventive measure is to gut the fish as soon as they are caught."
Thorough freezing of the fish will kill the larva, with at least one to three days in a frozen state being required, depending on the size of the fish. Cooking, of course, kills everything, but cold smoking, salting and marinating are not always effective.
Q. How does one know if a ham is "fully cooked," "partially cooked" or ''not cooked"? Occasionally they're marked, but usually they're not. Then I cook them to death.
Shirley Wigglesworth
Mays Landing, N.J.
A. Ham is meat from the hind leg of a hog. Fresh ham is plain meat to which nothing has been done. It must be thoroughly cooked.
Hams labeled "cured" or "cured and smoked" must also be cooked unless the label indicates otherwise. Those hams you can eat without cooking first must be labeled "fully cooked." All canned hams are fully cooked. Read the label for instructions. It should say "fully cooked" or "precooked."
