Tartare, sushi and other raw dishes

There is always an element of risk when eating raw meat and fish, such as tartare and sushi. These foods can be contaminated by harmful microorganisms that are normally destroyed by cooking.

People with compromised immune systems should not eat this type of food.

The raw meat or fish must be high quality and as fresh as possible. Always get the exact amount of food you need, and have your butcher or fishmonger prepare it on the same day as you plan to make the meal.

From purchase to plating, make sure that the meat or fish always stays between 0°C and 4°C. To avoid cross-contamination when preparing the food, use clean utensils and a clean work surface. Lemon juice and vinegar-based marinades cannot destroy all microorganisms, even if the food looks cooked.

Choose whole pieces of meat that have not been pricked or tenderized. Never use ground meat.

For tartare, sushi and other raw dishes, opt for farmed meat such as beef, veal, bison, red deer and boar.

Do not eat raw meat from wild game, such as bear, hare, white-tailed deer, moose, beaver, muskrat, squirrel or seal. Wild animals are more likely to be exposed to insects, rodents and birds that can transmit parasites to them.

When eaten raw, poultry is riskier than other meats. Do not eat raw chicken, turkey, duck, quail, guinea fowl, goose, pheasant or partridge.

How to trim farmed meat

The most effective way to eliminate bacteria that may be on the surface of the meat is:

• Sear the meat on all sides. 
• Remove the thin layer of seared meat. 
• Quickly refrigerate the central portion of raw meat. 

This method is easier than traditional trimming because the layer of meat to be removed has been cooked and is more visible. 

Use the following method for traditional trimming, when the meat is not seared: 

• Remove a layer approximately 5 mm thick (1/8 to 1/4 in.) all around the piece. Roll the piece along the cutting board as you trim, so that only the trimmed sections are in contact with the clean area of the board.
• Wash your hands, then put the trimmed meat on another clean, disinfected cutting board.
• Grind or slice the trimmed meat using a clean, disinfected knife.

Fish are natural carriers of a variety of parasites.

When fish is purchased to be eaten raw, it must be frozen first.

Ask the fishmonger whether the fish has already been frozen.

Farmed fish and some species of tuna are not subject to this requirement because they are known to be parasite-free.

Use fresh fish. Fresh fish fillets have bright, vivid colours. The flesh should spring back when gently pressed. Fresh fish should not smell fishy.

Choose fresh bivalve shellfish such as scallops, oysters, clams, cockles and mussels. Fresh whole shellfish (in the shell) must be tightly closed, or close when tapped lightly with a finger.

Use shellfish that comes exclusively from an authorized harvesting or farming zone.