New NYC Health Department Rule Mandates Raw Fish Make Pit Stop In Freezer First
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Beginning in August, most raw fish served in any New York City restaurant will have to be frozen first.
As WCBS 880's Jim Smith reported, the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's rule is going into effect next month, requiring fish being served raw or under cooked to first be frozen to kill off bacteria.
But James Versocki, counsel for the New York State Restaurant Association, said there are exemptions -- meaning you'll likely not notice any difference the next time your order a tuna roll.
"Most grade sushi that restaurants serve are not impacted by this," he said. "You know your yellow and bluefin and tuna, they're allowed to be served raw because they don't generally have these parasites in them."
And other more exotic fish, according to Versocki, are already routinely frozen at the source as part of the standard supply chain -- a restaurant industry secret kept on ice for years.