While the experience can be upsetting, finding worms in salmon is surprisingly common.
These “worms” are a parasite named anisakid nematodes, sometimes referred to as herring worms or cod worms. As for their ubiquity, a 2019 article from CBC alleged that “data cited by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control suggests 75 percent of wild Pacific salmon are infected with the parasite.”
Despite how common they are, this hasn’t stopped people from sharing their disgust for the parasite. Last year, a TikTok user went viral after saying she found the parasite in salmon from Whole Foods, and another family sued Costco after they claimed to find the worms in halibut.
Now, another user’s parasite experience has gone viral, this time thanks to TikTok user Rachel Lyn (@msrachellyn).
@msrachellyn Live parasites in the salmon today at #costco ♬ Oh No – Kreepa
In a video with over 1.7 million views as of Sunday, Lyn shows what appears to be a worm crawling on a piece of raw salmon at Costco.
“Bruh not the live worms in the salmon at Costco,” she writes in the text overlaying the video. “immediately put it back.”
Although these worms may be unsettling, experts say that fish containing these worms is perfectly safe to eat so long as it’s been cooked.
“As soon as the salmon is cooked, it’s still disgusting but never dangerous,” Michael Gänzle, Canada Research Chair in food microbiology and probiotics at the University of Alberta, told CBC. “But if the fish is eaten raw, there can be an infection.”
Even so, such infections are rare.
“The US reports fewer than 10 diagnosed cases each year,” writes Ingrid Koo, PhD. “In Japan, where raw fish is an integral part of the Japanese diet, more than 1000 cases have been reported each year.”
TikTok users in comments affirmed this idea.
“There has always been worms in fish,” a commenter said.
“Is killed in the cooking process,” stated another.
That said, many weren’t too happy about the worms— and the price.
“Concerning worm but so is the $32 for salmon,” a user wrote.
“That is why I don’t eat sushi,” shared a second.
The Daily Dot reached out to Lyn via TikTok comment and Costco via media contact form.
