What · Essence
What the FDA Food Code says about freezing fish for raw service
The FDA Food Code uses time-and-temperature freezing controls for many fish served raw or undercooked to destroy parasites, with defined exemptions. It is a model code, so local adoption still matters.
The Food Code gives three freezing pathways
The model code provides combinations including -20°C (-4°F) for 7 days, or colder rapid-freezing options at -35°C (-31°F) with shorter holding periods.
These controls target parasites. FDA separately warns that freezing does not kill all harmful germs, so parasite control is not the same as making raw fish risk-free.
Some fish are exempt under defined conditions
The Food Code lists exemptions including molluscan shellfish, shucked scallop adductor muscle, specified tuna species and certain aquacultured fish raised and fed under stated conditions.
An exemption is technical and species- or production-specific; it should not be replaced by a vague phrase such as sushi grade.
The Food Code is a model, not a universal federal restaurant law
FDA describes the Food Code as its best model advice for retail and foodservice regulation. State, local, tribal and territorial authorities adopt and enforce their own rules.
For a real restaurant decision, the applicable local code and inspection authority matter.
Before you decide
Keep these five things with you.
- 01Do not treat sushi grade as a regulatory shortcut
- 02Ask what parasite-control rule applies
- 03Keep freezing separate from bacterial risk
- 04Check whether an exemption actually applies
- 05Remember local food codes govern enforcement
How this story earns trust
Sources, method and relationship—visible.
Each reference is tagged by the geography and authority of the source. Country-specific evidence is never presented as a global rule.
Method
This Essence article uses the current FDA Food Code 2022 and FDA seafood-safety guidance. It explains U.S. model-code requirements without personalised medical advice.
Commercial relationship
Independent editorial. No restaurant, seafood supplier or freezer manufacturer paid for inclusion.
Correction or improvement
Found a mistake, a missing perspective or a source we should review? Send it to the editorial desk ↗
- 01Food Code 2022 ↗
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Current FDA Food Code page and model regulatory context.
- 022022 FDA Food Code — Parasite Destruction ↗
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Section 3-402.11 sets freezing time/temperature options and exemptions for fish served raw or partially cooked.
- 03Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely ↗
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA notes freezing can kill parasites but does not kill all harmful germs.
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What the FDA Food Code says about freezing fish for raw service
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Useful questions
Quick answers,
kept specific.
Does freezing make raw fish completely safe?
No. FDA notes freezing can kill parasites but does not kill all harmful germs.
Is the FDA Food Code automatically the law in every U.S. restaurant?
No. It is a model code used by jurisdictions to develop or update their own retail food rules.