Is Costco Salmon Good Enough To Use For Sushi?

Costco is a go-to stop for affordable groceries (and a post-checkout pizza slice at the food court, of course). This includes seafood, which Costco offers in abundance, and at tremendous prices. But what if you're looking to make sushi at home? Costco may be one of the best places to buy fish, but is the quality of their salmon high enough to consume raw? Making salmon croquettes is one thing — making sushi is entirely another.

It may surprise you, but yes, Costco salmon is absolutely good enough to use for sushi. It may not necessarily be marketed and sold as sushi-grade, as salmon sometimes is in specialty markets, but Costco's seafood standards are high and its regulations are strict. Plus, at about $12.99 per pound, it's a steal. But if you're using Costco salmon for sushi, you should still be cognizant of the food safety risks involved and safe handling practices you should carry out.

Wild salmon spend their lives in both salt and freshwater. This makes them uniquely susceptible to broad fish tapeworms, which can be more dangerous than the average parasitic worm found in other saltwater fish. While cooking the salmon will kill off these microscopic parasites, you run the risk of infection when consuming seafood raw.

Severe infection is rare, but it's important to know that the possibility exists. When raw fish is to be sold as sushi, the FDA requires that it be frozen for a certain amount of time as an alternate method of killing off parasites. But this requirement only applies to ready-made sushi, so you have to be a bit more careful when purchasing fresh salmon you're going to make into sushi with your own two hands. That might give you pause, but remember: While there are some types of seafood you should avoid buying at Costco, salmon isn't one of them. In fact, many avid Costco shoppers claim it's one of the best places to purchase fresh salmon. Costco holds itself to high standards, and you should feel safe buying salmon from it. But know that consuming any raw fish always comes with a risk of parasitic infection. What you do with that knowledge depends on how significant that risk is to you.

If you prefer to stay on the safest side possible, your best bet is to look for farmed salmon at your local Costco instead of wild salmon. Farmed salmon is known to have a much lower risk of carrying parasites, as the salmon's growth occurs in a contained environment. But you should still make sure to practice safe handling and storage of your fish to avoid bacterial growth. Keep the salmon refrigerated before use, and make sure to wash your hands before making your sushi. Many experts claim that bacterial infection is a much higher risk than parasitical infection when consuming raw fish, so this is especially important. FDA regulations advise keeping raw fish at a temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid bacterial growth.

While Costco is making some changes in 2024, it's still offering the same level of quality fish. Bottom line? As long as you're well aware of the risks and practice safe handling, you can try out Costco's salmon for your next sushi-making adventure.