Fundamental Research on Inactivation of Anisakis by Pulsed Current

With the recent development in fresh fish distribution, a variety of fish can now be eaten raw, and with this development, the problem of anisakiasis food poisoning has become more serious. The common method of removing anisakis risk is to freeze the fish to kill them, but this has the disadvantage of lowering the quality of the fish. Therefore, pulsed power is attracting attention as a way to kill anisakis. By applying a high-voltage pulse for a short time, it is possible to kill anisakis without degrading the quality of fish. In this study, to investigate the basic characteristics of Anisakis inactivation, we applied a pulsed electric field directly to anisakis in saltwater and demonstrated a threshold level for inactivation of anisakis. In addition, pulse-treated anisakis was fluorescently stained and observed under a microscope to clarify the damage pathways.