B.C. family upset over wiggling worm discovered in fish for dinner

It was supposed to be a nice Sunday dinner for Vic Ram and his family but an unexpected surprise ruined it, he says. 

Ram claims that he went to the T&T Supermarket in SW Marine Drive on Sunday and purchased some fresh halibut that was on sale.

"They were going like hot cakes," Ram said. 

He said when they arrived to their home in Surrey, B.C., he cut up the fish, marinated it with some salt and lemon juice and handed it over to his wife to fry them, when she noticed something moving.

"It looked like a worm," he said. 

"It started to come out, it just wiggled, wiggled, wiggled its way out and the body just kept getting longer and longer," he said.

Ram said he then called the T&T Supermarket and was advised to bring it back. He returned it to a nearby T&T branch in Surrey and after speaking to a manager, he filled out a complaint form and got a full refund for his purchase. 

But Ram isn't satisfied with a refund and wants to be sure products sold at T&T supermarkets are safe. 

Rare, unpleasant but natural

Paul Wong, marketing manager for T&T Supermarket's western region responded to CBC News in e-mail and ensures that the merchandise they sell are in good quality and are purchased from reputable suppliers. 

The company also pointed out a B.C. CDC reference manual that reads worms are common in fish, and finding worms and parasites are a natural occurrence and not a form of contamination. Therefore, the company claims this situation is not unique to T&T supermarkets.

The B.C. Seafood Alliance, an industry group, backs up that claim. It says processing plants that fillet halibut check carefully for parasites, but worms may still be found — just as they're found in fruits, vegetables and meats. 

It encourages customers to take the fish back to the store and complain if they find parasites. 

But the B.C. Seafood Alliance says while it is unpleasant to find a parasite, it is not health hazard if the fish is cooked properly, and encourages consumers to freeze wild fish to kill parasites if they plan to consume raw fish.

Fish parasites, including worms, can be a health concern to humans if ingested in their live state, according to the B.C. CDC.