Smoked salmon is a delicious and nutritious food that many people enjoy. However, like any perishable food, smoked salmon can go bad and become unsafe to eat Eating spoiled smoked salmon can cause foodborne illness, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe In this article, we’ll look at what can happen if you eat bad smoked salmon and how to avoid it.
Overview of Smoked Salmon and Food Safety
Smoked salmon is salmon that has been cured and hot or cold smoked. This process preserves the fish and gives it a smoky salty flavor. Smoked salmon is commonly eaten as lox or in dishes like bagels with cream cheese.
Like any seafood, smoked salmon must be handled properly to prevent bacterial growth and foodborne illness. Bacteria like Listeria, Salmonella, and Clostridium botulinum can contaminate smoked fish if it is not stored at the right temperature or cooked thoroughly before eating.
What Happens If You Eat Bad Smoked Salmon?
Eating spoiled, contaminated smoked salmon can cause food poisoning with varying symptoms:
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Gastrointestinal illness – Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps. This is the most common result.
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Fever – Elevated body temperature due to infection.
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Headache and chills – Body aches and pains may accompany the fever.
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Dehydration – Fluid loss from vomiting and diarrhea can lead to dehydration, especially in children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.
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Severe illness – In rare cases, bad smoked salmon can cause invasive bacterial infections, meningitis, or botulism poisoning. Those with weakened immune systems are especially at risk.
While mild cases may resolve without treatment, it’s important to stay hydrated and contact a doctor if symptoms persist or become severe. Prompt medical treatment can prevent complications and dangerous health outcomes.
How to Identify Bad Smoked Salmon
Watch for these signs that smoked salmon has gone bad:
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Slimy texture – Good smoked salmon should be firm and shiny. Sliminess indicates spoilage.
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Dull or faded color – The fish should be glossy and bright. Dull color is a red flag.
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Mold – Moldy spots or fuzzy growth indicates the salmon is past its prime.
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Fishy or ammonia smell – Fresh smoked salmon has a mild, smoky aroma. A strong fishy or ammonia-like odor is a clear sign of spoilage.
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Expired sell-by date – Smoked salmon keeps for only about two weeks after the packaged date, even when refrigerated. Don’t eat past the date.
When in doubt, remember the old adage: When fish smells bad, it is bad! Rely on your senses.
Tips to Prevent Food Poisoning from Smoked Salmon
You can take simple steps to avoid getting sick from smoked salmon:
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Purchase smoked salmon from reputable sellers. Check that it is correctly refrigerated at the store.
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Check the expiration date and don’t buy or eat smoked salmon that is past its sell-by date.
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Refrigerate smoked salmon at 40°F as soon as possible after purchase. Keep refrigerated until ready to eat.
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Discard smoked salmon that is past its use-by date, even if refrigerated. Don’t take chances!
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When serving, keep smoked salmon cold at 40°F or less. Avoid letting it sit at room temperature.
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Consume refrigerated smoked salmon within 3-5 days of opening the package. Don’t eat leftovers after that.
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Heat smoked salmon to an internal temperature of 165°F if not eating cold. This kills any bacteria present.
Following safe food handling practices helps prevent foodborne illness from smoked salmon. Take special care with young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses, as they are most vulnerable to severe complications from food poisoning.
What to Do if You Eat Bad Smoked Salmon
If you suspect you’ve eaten bad smoked salmon, stop eating it right away. Seek medical care if you experience symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, headaches, and stomach cramps. Call your doctor or visit urgent care.
Be sure to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. In severe cases, hospitalization may be required for IV fluids or medication.
Notify the store or restaurant where you bought the smoked salmon. This helps pinpoint the source of contamination and prevent others from getting sick. Prompt reporting can also aid food safety investigations.
Food poisoning is never fun, but seeking prompt treatment can reduce the severity and duration of illness. While most cases resolve on their own, bad smoked salmon should not be taken lightly, as serious complications are possible in some cases. By following sound food safety practices, you can continue enjoying delicious smoked salmon without worry!
Smoked salmon can go bad and cause foodborne illness if not handled properly. Slimy texture, foul odor, mold, and expiration past the sell-by date are signs smoked salmon has spoiled. Eating bad smoked salmon can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, fever, dehydration, and severe illness in some cases. Prevent problems by purchasing smoked salmon from reputable sellers, storing it correctly, adhering to use-by dates, and cooking it thoroughly if not eating cold. Seek medical treatment if you suspect you’ve eaten bad smoked salmon. Following basic food safety guidelines can allow you to eat smoked salmon without risking food poisoning.
Fish provide key nutrients that support a child’s brain development.
Fish are part of a healthy eating pattern and provide key nutrients during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and/or early childhood to support a child’s brain development:
- Omega-3 (called DHA and EPA) and omega-6 fats
- Iron
- Iodine (during pregnancy)
- Choline
Choline also supports development of the baby’s spinal cord. Fish provide iron and zinc to support children’s immune systems. Fish are a source of other nutrients like protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and selenium too.
Eating fish can provide other health benefits too.
Fish intake during pregnancy is recommended because moderate scientific evidence shows it can help your baby’s cognitive development.
Strong evidence shows that eating fish, as part of a healthy eating pattern, may have heart health benefits.
A healthy eating pattern consists of choices across all food groups (vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, and protein foods, which includes fish), eaten in recommended amounts, and within calorie needs. Healthy eating patterns include foods that provide vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting components and have no or little added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.
Healthy eating patterns that include fish may have other benefits too. Moderate scientific evidence shows that eating patterns relatively higher in fish but also in other foods, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, low- or non-fat dairy, lean meats and poultry, nuts, and unsaturated vegetable oils, and lower in red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, and refined grains are associated with:
- Promotion of bone health – decreases the risk for hip fractures*
- Decreases in the risk of becoming overweight or obese*
- Decreases in the risk for colon and rectal cancers*
Are there nutritional differences between fresh and smoked salmon?
FAQ
What to do if I ate bad smoked salmon?
Any nausea or vomiting? If you develop any symptoms, then in that case you should get yourself physically examined.
What happens if you eat slightly bad salmon?
How to tell if smoked salmon has gone bad?
Smoked salmon that has gone bad will exhibit several noticeable signs. Look for a strong, unpleasant odor, often described as fishy, sour, or ammonia-like. The texture may become slimy, mushy, or excessively dry.
Is it okay to eat expired smoked salmon?
What happens if you eat smoked salmon?
Smoked salmon may carry the risk of contracting this infection. Always make sure you properly heat your fish before you eat it. It’s never advisable to eat spoiled food. When food goes bad, it becomes adulterated with a lot of harmful microorganisms and toxins that could affect your health if they get into your system.
What happens if you eat bad salmon?
In some cases, eating bad salmon can also lead to more serious health issues, such as scombroid poisoning caused by a buildup of histamine in the fish. Symptoms of scombroid poisoning can include flushing, headache, itching, and a burning sensation in the mouth and throat.
How do you know if smoked salmon is bad?
Slimy fish is also a sign that your smoked salmon is way past its date. If the body is unnecessarily sticky and slimy, that’s your cue to discard the entire fish. What Happens If You Eat Bad Smoked Salmon?
Can bad salmon cause food poisoning?
In severe cases, it can also lead to more serious complications such as dehydration and infection. The main culprit for food poisoning from bad salmon is usually bacteria such as Salmonella or Vibrio or viruses such as norovirus or hepatitis A. These can be present in raw or undercooked fish or in fish that have been stored or handled improperly.
Can you eat smoked salmon?
Another thing to be wary of is listeria infection. Smoked salmon may carry the risk of contracting this infection. Always make sure you properly heat your fish before you eat it. It’s never advisable to eat spoiled food.
Does smoked salmon smell bad?
Deciding whether a fishy smell is cause for concern is trickier than the other three smells. For example, smoked salmon should have a somewhat fishy smell, but it shouldn’t smell overwhelmingly fishy. Listen to your nose. If the salmon smells odd in any way, don’t eat it. What Does Smoked Salmon That’s Gone Bad Feel Like?