Can You Safely Eat Walmart’s Salmon Raw?

Eating raw fish dishes like sushi and poke has become increasingly popular lately. The fresh, delicate flavor of raw salmon is so appetizing. As a busy mom, I often grab packages of salmon at Walmart since it’s affordable and convenient. But is Walmart’s salmon actually safe to consume raw?

Consuming raw seafood comes with some risks like parasites, bacteria, and viruses However, salmon is generally considered lower risk compared to some other fish

In this article, I’ll go through everything you need to know about eating Walmart’s salmon raw. I’ll cover how it’s sourced, processed, handled, and the best practices for preparing raw salmon meals safely.

Potential Risks of Raw Salmon

Before diving into Walmart’s salmon specifically, let’s review some of the potential risks of eating raw fish in general:

• Parasites – Raw salmon has a low risk of parasites compared to some other fish, but the risk isn’t zero. Parasites like Anisakis can cause nasty gastrointestinal symptoms.

• Bacteria – Harmful bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli can contaminate raw seafood and cause food poisoning-like symptoms. Proper handling is key to avoiding contamination.

• Viruses – Raw shellfish is most associated with norovirus infection, but raw salmon could also transmit viruses if handled improperly.

• Toxins – Fish can contain toxins like mercury. Salmon tends to be low mercury but some populations may be riskier. Sourcing is key.

• Allergies – Fish allergies may cause reactions, especially in people allergic to salmon roe.

So raw salmon comes with some risks. But when handled properly from catch to table, it can be safe to eat raw for most people.

How Walmart Sources Their Fresh Salmon

To understand how safely you can eat Walmart’s salmon raw, we have to start at the source.

Walmart does not harvest their own salmon. Instead, they source from major wild-caught and farmed salmon providers across the globe:

• Wild-caught – Salmon like sockeye and coho are fished from the waters of Alaska, Washington, and Oregon.

• Farmed – Atlantic salmon make up a huge portion of farmed salmon and primarily come from Chile and Norway.

Wild Pacific salmon tends to be less risky than farmed Atlantic salmon. But both can be safe when properly handled.

Salmon Processing & Handling

Once salmon is sourced, processing and handling are where contamination risks come into play. Here are some key steps:

• Bleeding – After catch, blood is immediately drained from salmon to inhibit bacterial growth.

• Filleting – At the processor, salmon is filleted by hand or machine. Proper sanitation prevents bacterial spread.

• Freezing – Salmon is typically flash frozen very soon after catch to kill any parasites. Walmart states their salmon is frozen to -31°F.

• Packaging – Individual vacuum-sealed plastic ensures minimal handling exposure.

• Shipping – Refrigerated trucks transport frozen salmon to stores like Walmart.

When these key steps are followed properly, it creates very low food safety risk.

Walmart Salmon Handling In-Store

Once salmon arrives at Walmart, proper in-store handling determines if contamination occurs:

• Frozen transport – Salmon remains hard frozen as it ships to stores in refrigerated cases.

• Defrosting – Walmart seafood employees are trained in safe defrosting procedures before putting salmon on ice.

• Display – Salmon sits on top of fresh ice, not directly touching melted water that could breed bacteria.

• Turnover – High turnover means salmon doesn’t sit out long. Any unsold salmon gets tossed daily.

• Sanitation – Food contact surfaces are cleaned frequently to avoid cross-contamination.

So again, when protocols are followed, Walmart’s in-store seafood handling seems sufficient to serve raw salmon reasonably safely. But risks increase if proper procedures aren’t adhered to by employees.

Best Practices For Consuming Walmart’s Raw Salmon

To maximize safety of eating Walmart salmon raw yourself, here are some tips:

• Inspect the flesh thoroughly and discard any discolored or slimy pieces.

• Ensure your kitchen surfaces and knives are very clean to prevent cross-contamination.

• Defrost in the refrigerator overnight vs. quicker methods to inhibit bacteria.

• Cook salmon to 145°F before eating if you have concerns about risks. This kills any parasites or bacteria.

• Avoid raw salmon if you are pregnant, elderly, or immunocompromised as these groups are more susceptible to illness.

• Purchase sushi-grade fish if completely eliminating risks is vital. Sushi grade has stricter safety standards.

Overall, healthy individuals are unlikely to have issues with Walmart salmon consumed raw following basic food safety practices. But adhere to the above if you have greater concerns.

The Verdict On Eating Walmart’s Salmon Raw

Based on my deep dive into Walmart’s salmon sourcing, handling, and food safety protocols, eating it raw should pose minimal risks for most people.

When safe catch methods, processing, freezing, storage, and preparation steps are followed properly at each stage, Walmart’s salmon seems no less safe to eat raw than any grocery store salmon.

However, risks can never be completely eliminated with raw fish. Those with compromised immune systems or of vulnerable demographics may still wish to avoid it. For maximum safety, pregnant women and those with sensitivities should stick to cooked salmon.

But for most healthy adults and children, Walmart’s fresh raw salmon appears to be reasonably safe for sushi, poke bowls, ceviche, and other raw preparations when handled properly.

What has been your experience with eating Walmart’s salmon raw? Do you feel comfortable with the safety, or do you have concerns? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!