Kouvola finds sushi too warm as Finland drafts safety rules

Food safety inspectors in Kouvola found sushi served at temperatures as high as 20 degrees Celsius, prompting renewed calls for clearer national guidance, Yle reports. Finland’s Food Authority is preparing instructions on making, selling and serving sushi, which it expects to publish by the end of the year.

Inspectors checked two shops selling sushi and six restaurants serving it in May and June. Temperatures ranged from 6.5 to 20 degrees Celsius: three businesses met the guidance, while sushi at five was too warm. None of the eight businesses kept records showing how long the sushi had been on sale.

Most also lacked records of rice cooling. Cooked rice must be cooled immediately to below six degrees Celsius. All the businesses said they sold sushi for less than four hours, but inspectors had no records to verify this.

For restaurant service, sushi held for more than four hours should be kept below six degrees Celsius. If it is served for less than four hours, the temperature may rise to 12 degrees. Kouvola’s chief health inspector, Saija Lassila, said the readings varied more than she expected, with one reaching 20 degrees.

Rice bacteria can survive cooking

Rice naturally contains Bacillus cereus bacteria. Its spores survive cooking and can produce a toxin, particularly if cooked rice cools too slowly or is stored in conditions that are too warm. The toxin can cause vomiting or diarrhoea, and symptoms can be severe, Lassila said.

The bacteria can also be controlled by adding vinegar to bring the rice’s pH below 4.3. According to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Bacillus cereus accounts for four per cent of recorded food poisoning and waterborne outbreaks in Finland. In 2023, there were 1,823 reported cases of illness in total; a calculation based on that figure would put about 70 cases down to the bacterium.

What customers can check

Much of what affects sushi’s shelf life happens in the kitchen, but customers can look for the restaurant’s Oiva food inspection report, which must be displayed. A smiling face on the report indicates that things are in order. Sushi kept under a cover on a chilled surface is more likely to stay cool, and a busy sushi counter may mean the food is served for a shorter time.

The inspection results will be taken into account at the restaurants’ next Oiva food safety inspections. Kouvola’s health inspectors also tested sushi for bacteria in 2022.