Sushi Otaku

Yesterday’s MSNBC Article on the dangers of sushi kind of bothered me. I’m used to the media sensationalizing just about everything, but it seems to me that their main goal, in the absence of enough news, is just to scare people. I’m not going to argue that there is no risk to eating predatory animals and fish, there is (all toxins work their way up the food chain on land or in the sea), but the risk of mercury in tuna, swordfish, shark, and others has been known for a while. And unless you are eating a lot of these foods every day, I honestly don’t believe that you are risking your life (as it would seem they believe) every time you go out for sushi.

What the article blatantly fails to mention (and obviously so because this seems to have been written to take advantage of the growing prevalence of sushi restaurants in the west) is that these already known risks are also valid in tinned tuna, and any other predatory fish you may eat cooked in a regular restaurant or home. You also might want to think about the pesticides in the veggies you eat every day as well (the ones that get into your produce, not just on the skin). Or BSE in your beef. Or avian flu in your poultry. I could really go on for a long time.

My point is not that everything is great and don’t worry, be happy. It is that any educated consumer should be aware that just about everything you do carries risks (even crossing the street) and that any sensible person should simply just be smart about their diet and not fall prey to the fear mongering that the media seems to have adopted instead of reporting actual news. Remember, for them it’s all about getting the readers attention to sell more papers and ad space, not about how to enjoy something responsibly.

Warren
The Sushi Guy.