5 Things to Know About Eating Frozen Tuna Raw

Frozen tuna is safe to eat raw only if it has been frozen to FDA standards: -4°F for 7 days or -31°F for 15 hours. Commercial flash-freezing handles this reliably.

Your kitchen freezer may not maintain a consistent -4°F, making the time requirement hit-or-miss. Don’t assume a few days in a home freezer is enough.

Tuna is a lower-risk fish for parasites compared to salmon or mackerel, but the same freezing rules still apply. Buy from a trusted source.

Look for “sushi grade” or “for raw consumption” on the label when buying frozen tuna from the grocery store. Otherwise, assume it’s meant for cooking.

If you catch tuna yourself, freeze it properly or cook it. No shortcuts—a couple days in the freezer is not sufficient.