How to Avoid Food Poisoning from Fish: The Essential Guide

December 28, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), contaminated food causes approximately 48 million illnesses and 3,000 deaths in the U.S. annually, with fish and shellfish being a common culprit. Understanding how to handle fish safely is crucial to protect yourself and your family from foodborne illnesses like scombroid and ciguatera poisoning.

Quick Summary

This guide provides practical steps for preventing seafood-related illnesses. It covers safe practices for purchasing, storing, preparing, and cooking fish to ensure every meal is both delicious and safe.

Key Points

Buy from Reputable Sources: Purchase fish from trusted vendors with high hygiene and refrigeration standards.
Check for Freshness: Inspect fish for clear eyes, a mild odor, and firm flesh before purchasing.
Store Properly: Refrigerate fresh fish immediately at 4°C (40°F) or below, or freeze if not using within two days.
Avoid Cross-Contamination: Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw fish and wash hands thoroughly.
Cook to 145°F: Cook fish to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) to kill most harmful bacteria.
Understand Scombroid Poisoning: Prevent histamine buildup by ensuring cold chain management, as cooking does not destroy this toxin.
Be Aware of Ciguatera Poisoning: Avoid high-risk predatory reef fish like barracuda and certain grouper, especially their organs.

Sourcing and Selecting Fresh Fish

Preventing food poisoning starts long before the cooking process. Your choice of where and how you purchase fish is the first and most critical line of defense against foodborne pathogens and toxins.

Where to buy fish

Reputable Vendors: Always purchase fish from trusted sources such as established fish markets, well-regarded grocery stores, or certified vendors. These businesses typically adhere to strict food safety and refrigeration standards, significantly reducing the risk of contamination.
Avoid Suspicious Sources: Steer clear of fish from unverified sources, roadside stalls with poor refrigeration, or vendors who do not display clear hygiene practices. The small saving is not worth the health risk.

How to identify fresh fish

When selecting fresh, whole fish or fillets, look for these tell-tale signs of freshness:

Odor: The fish should have a clean, fresh, mild smell, not a strong, fishy, or sour odor. Any unpleasant smell is a clear sign of spoilage.
Eyes: For whole fish, the eyes should be clear, shiny, and bulge slightly. Cloudy or sunken eyes are a major red flag.
Flesh: The flesh should be firm and elastic, springing back when gently pressed. Soft, mushy, or discolored flesh indicates improper handling and age.
Gills: Gills on whole fish should be bright red and clean, not brown or slimy.

Safe Handling and Storage at Home

Once you bring your fish home, proper handling and storage are paramount to maintaining its safety.

Proper storage techniques

Refrigeration: Store fresh fish in the coldest part of your refrigerator, ideally at or below 4°C (40°F). If possible, store it on a bed of ice in a sealed container to keep it as cold as possible without freezing.
Freezing: If you are not going to cook the fish within a day or two, freeze it immediately. Wrap it tightly in freezer paper or a freezer bag to prevent freezer burn and store it at or below -18°C (0°F).
Separate from Other Foods: To prevent cross-contamination, store raw fish in sealed containers or secure wrapping to ensure no juices leak onto other items in your fridge.

Preventing cross-contamination

Cross-contamination is a leading cause of food poisoning. It occurs when bacteria spread from raw food to ready-to-eat food.

Use Separate Cutting Boards: Always use a separate cutting board for raw fish, and another for vegetables and other ready-to-eat ingredients. If you only have one, prepare your other ingredients first, and then wash the board thoroughly before cutting the fish.
Clean Utensils: Wash knives, tongs, and all other utensils that touch raw fish with hot, soapy water before using them on other foods.
Wash Hands: Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after handling raw fish.

Cooking Fish to the Right Temperature

Cooking fish to the correct internal temperature is the only way to kill most harmful bacteria.

Use a Food Thermometer: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends cooking fish to an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C). Use a food thermometer to check the thickest part of the fish.
Visual Cues: If you don’t have a thermometer, cook the fish until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
Special Care for Raw Fish: If consuming raw or undercooked fish (sushi, sashimi), it must be specially handled to prevent parasites. Ensure it has been properly frozen to eliminate parasites, as required by food safety standards. Purchase sushi-grade fish only from reliable suppliers.

Understanding Different Types of Fish Poisoning

Fish poisoning is not always caused by bacteria. Some can be caused by naturally occurring toxins.

Scombroid Poisoning: Caused by the breakdown of fish proteins into histamine due to improper storage and temperature abuse after being caught. Tuna, mackerel, and mahi-mahi are common culprits. Unlike bacteria, the histamine is heat-stable, meaning cooking does not destroy it. Prevention relies entirely on proper chilling from the moment the fish is caught.
Ciguatera Poisoning: Caused by toxins from microalgae that accumulate in predatory reef fish like barracuda, grouper, and snapper. The toxin is also heat-stable, so cooking does not remove the risk. The best prevention is to avoid eating these types of fish, especially their internal organs, during warmer months or from known toxic areas.

Comparison Table: Common Fish Poisoning Prevention


Feature	Scombroid Poisoning	Ciguatera Poisoning
Cause	Improper chilling and storage leads to histamine production.	Predatory reef fish consume toxins from microalgae.
Affected Fish	Tuna, mackerel, mahi-mahi, and other scombroid species.	Barracuda, grouper, snapper, and other large reef fish.
Toxin Type	Histamine (heat-stable).	Ciguatoxin (heat-stable).
Key Prevention Method	Maintain constant and proper refrigeration from catch to consumption.	Avoid known high-risk predatory fish, especially the head and organs.
Cooking Effect	Does not destroy the toxin.	Does not destroy the toxin.

Conclusion

Avoiding food poisoning from fish is an achievable goal that hinges on a few crucial, consistent steps: sourcing from reputable sellers, meticulously handling and storing your fish at safe temperatures, preventing cross-contamination in the kitchen, and cooking seafood to the proper temperature. For specific toxins like scombroid and ciguatera, understanding the unique prevention methods is essential, as simple cooking is not enough. By integrating these practices into your routine, you can confidently enjoy fresh fish while minimizing health risks. Your diligent attention to these details ensures a safer and more enjoyable culinary experience.

For more comprehensive information on food safety, consult official resources like the FDA and CDC.(https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/prevention/index.html)

Frequently Asked Questions

Food poisoning from fish is most often caused by bacteria like Salmonella and Listeria due to improper handling, storage, or cooking. However, some types are caused by natural toxins, such as histamine in scombroid poisoning or ciguatoxins in ciguatera poisoning.

No, cooking can kill harmful bacteria but does not destroy certain toxins. Toxins like histamine (scombroid poisoning) and ciguatoxin (ciguatera poisoning) are heat-stable, meaning they remain in the fish even after it is thoroughly cooked.

Look for specific signs of freshness: the fish should have a mild, clean smell (not fishy), its eyes should be clear and shiny, and its flesh should feel firm and elastic. The gills on a whole fish should be bright red.

Scombroid poisoning is an illness resembling an allergic reaction, caused by a buildup of histamine in fish like tuna and mackerel that have been improperly refrigerated. To avoid it, ensure the fish is kept cold from the moment it is caught until you cook it.

Yes. Large, predatory reef fish from warm waters, such as barracuda, grouper, and snapper, are more likely to contain the ciguatoxin. The toxin is most concentrated in the liver, head, and intestines, which should be avoided.

Fresh fish should be consumed within one to two days of purchase. If it cannot be used within this timeframe, it should be frozen immediately to preserve its safety and quality.

Eating raw fish carries a higher risk, but it can be safe if the fish has been properly handled and prepared. To kill parasites, fish intended for raw consumption must be frozen to specific temperatures for a certain duration. Always purchase sushi-grade fish from a trusted, reputable supplier.