Roll Sushi, Roll: Defining “Sushi Grade” for the Consumer and the Sushi Bar
By Brandt T. Bowman.
Behind the glass partition of the sushi counter, a young sushi chef meticulously slices a fresh piece of Bluefin tuna, carefully molds it around a ball of vinegared rice, and artfully arranges it for service. The young chef exercises ancient precision, but such a display is neither for the swanky hipster at the table across the room nor for the self-indulgent businessman seated at the bar. Instead, the young chef exhibits such craftsmanship with honor because his ancestors have taught him to; he is the modern-day samurai.
The honor ends at the sushi counter however; globalization and capitalism have diluted the ancient art in exchange for mass production and profit margin. This departure from tradition does more than diminish sushi’s cultural significance: it creates new risks when ancient techniques are honored no longer and requires regulation where capitalists abused sushi demand.
A 28-year-old male from New York recently told his story about the violent illness he suffered a day after consuming an upscale sushi meal. The investment banker believed the cause of his illness was the raw fish, but, nevertheless, he declared his intention to return to the restaurant because “[i]t was so good.” Health risks have been shown on a larger scale as well. In 2008, the New York Times published an article wherein the writers tested sushi from 20 Manhattan stores. The tests’ findings were astounding: “A regular diet of six pieces of sushi a week would exceed the levels [of mercury] considered acceptable by the Environmental Protection Agency.” The tests included an even more alarming aspect: the owners of the sushi stores did not know that the fish posed a risk to consumers. One owner said: “I’m startled by this. Anything that might endanger any customer of ours, we’d be inclined to take off the menu immediately and get to the bottom of it.”
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This Comment addresses the need for a uniform, governmentally enforced definition of “sushi grade” to reduce consumers’ misunderstanding of the faux grading and curb health risks associated with the consumption of raw fish. Ultimately, this Comment will propose a working definition of “sushi grade” through a synthesis of federal regulations and optional code provisions.