For a “Safe Fasikh”… Follow these steps

According to the National Poison Center, the Egyptian state incurs millions of pounds every year to provide injections for the treatment of poisoning cases caused by eating fesikh.

For her part, Dr. Sherine Zaki, the representative of the General Syndicate of Veterinarians and head of the Food Safety Committee of the Syndicate, told Sky News Arabia that eating fesikh can lead to polarity poisoning, and this type of poisoning causes paralysis in the soft muscles, including breathing muscles, and has no antidote, and it is difficult It is very important to save the injured if some time has passed since his injury.

Edible fesikh and harmful fesikh

Dr. Zaki added that: “Some people are surprised by my talk about the existence of edible fesikh and invalid fesikh, and they believe that fesikh is decomposing fish and has a kind of rotting, and this is a statement that indicates ignorance of this subject, because fesikh depends in its manufacture on fermentation and not on rotting and decomposition, and there There is a big difference between them. The fermentation process is harmless bacteria multiplying and releasing acids that make tissues mature, while decomposition is another matter caused by harmful bacteria that fall within the framework of food poisoning, and even beneficial bacteria in improper storage conditions, contaminated manufacturing or using an invalid food item. For manufacturing, it turns into harmful bacteria.

And she indicated that: “The fesikh that we buy is affected by the manufacturing and storage conditions, and in the past, fesikh was stored in wooden barrels, and it was the best way for that, because it allowed the air to enter the fesikh. Food poisoning is caused by an anaerobic bacteria known as Clostridium botulinum.” And it grows in conditions where air and oxygen are not available, and thus pickling fesikh in metal sheets and tightly closed pots, with the presence of pollution and lack of cleanliness in the product leads to polarity poisoning, and it is one of the very dangerous types of poisoning, because it affects the soft muscles and nerve centers and starts dizzy Dizziness and blurred vision with heaviness of the tongue and limb muscles, and if first aid is not given to the patient in the hospital, it may lead to death.”

How to distinguish edible fesikh

On how to know fesikh that is suitable for human consumption, Dr. Zaki said: “In the beginning, a person should buy from trusted places, and avoid those who sell in rusty plates, or from street vendors, or shops that do not meet health requirements, then examine the fish itself, the color of the meat. It should be pink, with the need to stay away from brown, black or gray fish, and it is preferable that salted fish do not have any cracks, and stay away from bloated fish, as well as the worn-out texture. My finger should not leave a sunken place in the fish when pressing on it. The distinctive smell of fesikh is completely different from the smell of rot, which is something that those who eat fesikh can distinguish.

The effect of salting time

And the veterinarian continued by saying: “The duration of salting is very important and affects the condition of fesikh. Some women like to buy fesikh for a few days, which is ten days or two weeks, and this is extremely dangerous, because the correct salting of fesikh is about a month or more than a month in the case of large fish, because The large amount of salt and the length of the salting period eliminate any contaminants or undesirable bacterial growth, as salting has been a means of preserving food since ancient times, but in seasons we find stores in which a kind of rush and produce soybeak for a short salting period, although excess salinity is better for health The salty taste can be overcome by washing the fish or putting a little vinegar or lemon, tahini and onions to reduce the saltiness.

Freezing and heating

Dr. Sherine Zaki explains that: “It is preferable to put salted fesikh, or smoked fish such as herring in the freezer for 48 hours before consumption, in order to eliminate any vesicles that may be transmitted to humans, including tapeworms, or exposing these fish to heat, as some peoples fry these fish in oil Or you put them in the ovens or they are cooked, and these are ways to protect humans from parasites that may exist in them.”

Age group

The representative of the General Syndicate of Veterinarians in Egypt stresses that there are age groups that do not prefer to eat fesikh, and if it happens, it should be in very small quantities, namely children, the elderly, pregnant women, chronic diseases, and those with kidney and liver diseases, because of their weak immunity. It is preferable to eat fresh vegetables in large quantities and to drink large quantities while eating fesikh to reduce its damage.