How Long Is Sushi Good For (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 2 To 3 Days

Sushi is a traditional and authentic Japanese cuisine that is enjoyed not just in Japan, but all over the world. Sushi is made out of a variety of seafood, however, the most common type of sushi is one made out of raw fish. Sushi majorly contains ingredients such as seafood, vinegared rice, also referred to as shari, or sumeshi, different types of vegetables, and nori, a dried-out seaweed used to wrap sushi.

How Long Is Sushi Good For?

On average, the shelf life of sushi is about 2 to 3 days. Although it is important to note that many factors determine the shelf life of sushi. The main factor that can increase the shelf life or even decrease it to a drastic extent is the storage conditions of sushi.

Another factor to notice apart from storage conditions is whether the sushi is cooked or uncooked. Generally uncooked or raw sushi has a shorter shelf life as compared to cooked sushi. 

The reason behind that is that sushi contains raw fish and other such ingredients. Therefore, keeping sushi for more than a couple of days is not recommended. Moreover, if the raw fish is not consumed it becomes exposed to bacteria and many other atmospheric agents which can result in spoilage of sushi. However, cooked sushi will also lead to cooked fish which significantly increases the shelf life of sushi, especially when kept in the fridge.

Cooked sushi has a shelf life of about 3 to 4 days when kept in the fridge. On the other hand, if cooked sushi is kept at room temperature then its shelf life decreases to only about 5 to 6 hours. Raw sushi has the shortest shelf life, which is only about 1 to 2 days when kept in the fridge and 2 to 3 hours when kept at room temperature.

Why Is Sushi Good For That Long?

The suitable condition for storing sushi is to keep them in an airtight package at low temperatures. Although many people prefer to keep raw sushi at room temperature, room temperature is not a suitable condition to store them. The best place is to keep sushi in the fridge in an airtight container. The reason behind that is that if you keep the sushi at a temperature, it can result in bacterial contamination of the sushi. 

Apart from these general storage conditions, if you are buying readymade sushi then you can look at the label stuck onto the packet, about the storage conditions of that sushi, as every type of sushi has different storage conditions. It is always recommended to follow those storage instructions for storing sushi as they are the most suitable. As every type of sushi has its way of being prepared, therefore, with the change in preparation method, their storage conditions also change.

When sushi is left for more than 6 to 7 hours at room temperature, the sushi becomes unfit for consumption. Thus, storing sushi in the fridge can increase its shelf life to 24 hours. Moreover, for sushi that is prepared using cooked fish, its shelf life increases to as long as 3 to 4 days when refrigerated.

Conclusion

Spoiled sushi contains multiple parasites and bacteria which when consumed can be transmitted to us and cause many serious health issues. Eating spoiled sushi can cause health problems like diarrhea, food poisoning, anisakidosis, which is a larval infection that affects the gut. Apart from this, sushi may also bring mercury to the body which can lead to damage to the kidney, liver, and gut. Therefore, it becomes important to know when the sushi has gone bad and is unfit for consumption.

There are many signs by which you can tell that the sushi has gone bad. Spoiled sushi would have a peculiarly bad odor. The reason behind the bad odor is the bacteria present in the sushi which has contaminated it. Other signs of spoilage could be a visually dull look and a slimy texture. If you see such signs in your sushi then the sushi has probably gone bad and should not be consumed.

References

1. http://followthethings.com/howsushiwentglobal.shtml
2. https://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-abstract/71/4/860/171883