Fans of McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish might find an unwanted surprise in their food — and that’s a good thing.
A Reddit user posted a photo of a parasite found in their Filet-O-Fish sandwich to the McDonald’s subreddit, and she’s not the only one who has made this discovery.
But there’s no need to fret — it’s actually normal. It means the fish was caught in the wild.
When eating the Filet-O-Fish — or any fish product, really — there’s a chance of finding a small worm-like creature, and sometimes they’re small enough to not notice at all.
It may seem alarming to see one in the food you’re biting down on, but they’re actually just natural parasites that live in wild-caught fish, and they’re both unavoidable and nothing to worry about, Matthew Spina at Tasting Table said.
People on Reddit agreed, with one writing, “Well, now we know it’s real fish.”
“My exact thought,” someone replied. “I’ve worked fish markets. Fish have parasites.”
“Former fishmonger here — congrats on finding a nematode! If you’ve ever eaten wild-caught seafood either fresh/frozen, then congratulations as you’ve more than likely eaten a nematode prior!” another user wrote.
“It’s totally normal and doesn’t present any risk to you health, or affect taste or texture, provided that’s it’s properly prepared (cooked through, or frozen in a manner for raw consumption).”
Parasites are a normal part of wild food, and basically all fish have some form of parasites. In the McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish specially, a nematode is most likely what you’ll find, Spina said.
Nematodes are a type of roundworm found in saltwater fish such as cod, halibut, flounder and pollock.
While it might not seem appetizing, it’s actually safe to eat, so long as the fish has been properly cooked past 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Since McDonald’s deep fries their Filet-O-Fish patties, it meets that standard.
The realization that there might be a parasite in your McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish is really a realization that the fish sandwich is made from 100% real wild caught fish. McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish is made from wild-caught Alaskan Pollock.
However, Spina noted that while there’s no issue to worry about at McDonald’s, the parasites can be harmless if the fish is served raw or only lightly cooked and has never been frozen, meaning the problem is more prominent in sushi or ceviche dishes.
When this kind of fish is served raw or doesn’t undergo a process that kills the parasites, they can cause anisakiasis, an inflamed mass in the gastrointestinal tracts that can lead to abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Therefore, sometimes deep frying a fish can sometimes be the healthier option, Spina argued.
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