A Publix shopper walked up to the seafood counter and saw a fresh-cut cod fillet in the display case. She’s grossed out and called out the grocery chain in a now-viral TikTok after taking a closer look.
In a video with over 339,000 views, TikToker Brax (@mbrax8) uses viral audio of rapper Cardi B saying, “Oh my God. What is that? What is that?”
She zooms in on the cod fillet, showing a worm-like creature sitting on the $13.99 per pound fish. The creature doesn’t move and appears to be dead.
On-screen text reads, “Publix since when do we pay for parasites with our seafood.”
How Common Are Parasites In Fish Fillets?
While no one wants to see a parasite in the fish they just purchased from the grocery store, the unwanted passengers are surprisingly common. According to the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, up to 75% of wild-caught fish may make it to your dinner plate with a parasite.
Workers in the fishing industry share how often they see parasites on the r/Cooking subreddit, too.
“Farmed fish, I worked in a fish wholesaler for a number of years and farmed fish almost never had parasites,” one explained. “Almost all wild caught fish have parasites, it’s just a fact of nature unfortunately.”
“If it’s cultured or farmed, the odds decrease significantly, because fish farm feeds are made from soy or corn. And some fish are less prone to parasites as well,” a second suggested.
Wild-caught fish get the parasites from the food they eat, which allows the parasites to enter their bodies. Luckily, it’s not dangerous to eat fish that had a parasite as long as the meat was properly frozen and cooked to kill it.
How Did Commenters React To The Publix Seafood?
While the TikToker shares her disgust with the worm, some viewers call the parasite “normal.”
“All fish and meat have parasites just because you dont see it dont mean its not there. That is why we must cook things properly,” a commenter wrote.
Another said, “Probably an anisakid nematode. They’re extremely common in Alaskan cod and entirely harmless to humans as long as you heat it for freeze it to a certain temperature.”
“As long as I don’t see it I don’t care but if I see it then I do care idk why,” a third added.
Even PETA chimed in from the organization’s official account, remarking, “And once again, plants take the crown.”
However, a Publix worker came to the TikToker’s defense, claiming that the grocer has policies to prevent parasites from going on display.
They wrote, “Hi i work in seafood at publix, the person putting the fish out is supposed to double check for parasites before putting the fish in the full service case.”
BroBible reached out to Brax via TikTok direct message and comment and to Publix via email for further comment. We will update the story when they reply.